Red Nest – A Once in a Lifetime Lunch

It’s not every day that you come across bird spit soup on a menu, so when we saw it featured at the Palazzo’s Asian restaurant, Zine, in Vegas, we had no choice but to order it. The lychee martinis may have had something to do with our decision, after all, the soup cost $128 a bowl and no sober person that I know of would spend that kind of money on a bowl of soup.

This soup, actually known as Red Nest, is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and has been ingested there and in various parts of Southeast Asia for centuries. Quick research indicates anywhere from the past 400 to 1500 years. In some countries the nests (built by swifts) are harvested by cliff-scaling pickers and are only taken after the eggs have hatched and the young have flown. Typically, it takes 35 days for the swift to use its spittle to wind and weave an intricate basket about the size of a human fist.
These days the nests are more commonly harvested from purpose-built nest houses. White nests can sell for up to $2,000 USD per kilo, but the red nests (the pigment is due to minerals found in the caves) from Thailand can have a price tag of up to $10,000 USD/kilo. At Zine, the soup alone cost around $90 for the bowl but with the papaya, the price increased to $128. That’s one heck of an expensive papaya if you ask me. Vegas. Go figure.
Why do people eat this stuff? The saliva is rich in nutrients and according to Chinese medicinal claims, eating said saliva will improve all sorts of ailments–from dull complexions to dull libido, and everything in between.
So what does bird spit taste like? Hard to say as what we mostly tasted was the papaya. But I can tell you this, bird spit has a texture like…spit. Strings of spit. Sort of like slimy glass noodles–which is what you will need to tell your brain as you spoon the saliva strings into your mouth: “Glass noodles. I’m eating glass noodles.” And then wash them down with another martini.

Red Nest – A Once in a Lifetime Lunch

Red Nest History
Primarily known as Swallow Nest, Red Nest has been consumed by the Chinese people since more than 1500 years ago, firstly discovered during the Tang Dinasty (A.D. 618-907) in China. In the earliest records, it was said that the swallow nests were actually traded for porcelain during that time, and Admiral Cheng Ho returned from South East Asia, bringing back the swallow nest to the Chinese Emperor.

Royal Food for Chinese Emperor

Since then, swallow nest started to gain popularity inside the Chinese royal families, but was only consumed by the Emperor family and officials working in the court due to its limited supply. The ladies also regularly had swallow nest soup to maintain their beauty, and enhance their health.
Because of the scarcity and medicinal benefits, swallow nests were often given as highly prized presents or to represent wealth and power. At the end of Tang Dinasty’s reign, the swallow nest was finally introduced to the public and then has been widely known as the Red Nest.

Modern Red Nest House

After being open to public, Red Nest has been gaining a great popularity. The increasing demand and unpredictable harvest amount from the caves in the village encouraged the invention of new farming techniques. The modern Red Nest house is built to protect the swiftlets and nesting farms from natural predators, to increase the population of the swiftlets, and to improve quality consistency.

Medicinal Benefits

The medicinal values have been recorded on several historical records on the Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to medical masterwork, Pen Tsoa Feng Yuan, during the Ming Dinasty (1405-1433 AD) and early Ching Dinasty (1644-1911 AD), there was indication that Red Nest can strengthen the lungs and served as an anti-aging medicine. In the book of Ben Jing Feng Yuan by Zhang Lu Cheng in 1659, Red Nest can nourish the kidney and lungs, good for general health and stomach. In addition, on Medical Dictionary of China by Xie Guan published in 1921, Red Nest can nourish the lungs, balance and invigorate the Qi, enhance appetite, stop the coughing, act as an aphrodisiac and galvanize bone marrow.
Today, Red Nest still serves as a highly sought food for its numerous health benefits, and can be widely consumed by elderly, women, men, children, babies, and even pregnant women. Grab a natural and high-quality Red Nest in our store.