Call it the Food of Emperors or the Caviar of the East, edible bird’s nest is among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. Frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine, the appeal of this luxurious delicacy whose supposed health benefits range from improving the complexion to boosting immunity levels and aiding digesting spans far and wide. Lately, new ways to enjoy the health tonic have been introduced, taking away the hassle of soaking, cleaning and double-boiling it. Alongside soft drinks in the fridge at supermarkets and convenient stores, you’ll find handy jars of bird’s nest ready-made for direct consumption. Bird’s nest is also becoming popular in many Chinese restaurants, as an eco-friendly alternative to shark’s fin, which is commonly served at wedding banquets.

The third-generation leader of Dragon Brand Bird’s Nest, Lawrence Tan, also known as the Bird’s Nest Prince, recently launched a new brand of bespoke bird’s nest called Long Ming Xuan to cater to discerning clients. He gives MELISSA GAIL SING a quick bird’s eye view of the industry while offering his expert tips on picking out the finest bird’s nest and how best to enjoy this sumptuous treat.

What is edible bird’s nest?
It is really a nest woven from the saliva of swiftlets. There are only two species of swiftlets that can produce saliva, and only the male swiftlet can do this. Some bird’s nests are found in houses made specifically to attract swiftlets to nest, while others are found in caves. Indonesia is a big exporter of this traditional Asian delicacy which is taken as a tonic especially by expectant mothers, the frail or anyone who wants to boost their overall well-being. It is sold in medical halls and doesn’t come cheap—just 50g can cost from $800. The uninitiated call it “expensive bird spittle”.

What are the different types of edible bird’s nest available?
There are four main types of edible bird’s nest, usually differentiated by their colour which is affected by the swiftlets’ diet and environment. There’s white, orange, red and golden-orange, and each type comes in different grades. All have different textures and aromas. The cave-origin ones, which tend to have an orange colour, are most expensive. Singaporeans prefer to consume the golden-orange ones, likely because of their smoother taste and egg-like aroma, unlike the cave ones which have more bite because of the presence of minerals and oxidation.

How can a layman ascertain the price and quality of bird’s nest?
The price is mainly affected by the look of the bird’s nest and how well it is formed. There are a few factors one should pay attention to. First, look at the shape of the bird’s nest, which usually looks like a shallow cup—a full half-cup is the most expensive. Then examine how clean the product is—if there are too many impurities, you’ll spend more time and effort cleansing it and in the process may even waste some of the bird’s nest, yet if it looks too clean, you’ll have to ask yourself if some bleaching was done to it. Third, it is important to know the origin of the product. Some bird’s nest from Malaysia for instance, while cheaper than that from Indonesia, cannot withstand double-boiling, so you might spend a princely sum on the bird’s nest but eventually that money is wasted because you find later that it cannot withstand double-boiling.

If you don’t want to be guided solely by the salesperson attending to you when buying bird’s nest, it’s best to do a bit of research on how to differentiate the various types and how to make sure you’ll get what you think you are buying. I’ve created a website BirdsNestPrince.com that does that. I am also planning a video series to do complement this.

Describe some of the major developments in the edible bird’s nest industry over the past few years.
Edible bird’s nest has always been seen as a traditional Chinese delicacy with a wide spectrum of health benefits. People buy it mainly for their personal consumption or for gifting. The industry was booming, and huge profits were being generated. However, as sometimes is the case with fast-growing industries, things can go wrong. In 2011, there was a major scandal that shook the whole industry. One of the industry’s major players was found to have doctored its bird’s nest to make it look like red bird’s nest for obvious monetary gain—a kilogram of common bird’s nest is about $4,000, while the highly prized red or blood bird’s nest is about $10,000 per kilogram. Red bird’s nest actually gets its natural red colour because of the swiftlet’s diet or environment, but as a result of this brand’s wrongdoing, the nitrate levels in the bird’s nest grossly exceeded approved levels. After that, there was a ban on all imports of bird’s nest into China. Many businesses were affected but gradually, restrictions were relaxed and this year, the ban was lifted and the China market opened up.

Even before that scandal, Dragon Brand Bird’s Nest was in this business. Our main markets were Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Fortunately, we were not badly affected by the scandal as China was a market we were only exploring when the scandal broke. Yet the incident did get me thinking about how to improve the market for edible bird’s nest—not just with a view to sustain my family business but to sustain the industry as a whole.

What do you do in a typical day at work?
I usually visit the eight Dragon Brand Bird’s Nest retail shops, the newest of which is at Marina Bay Sands. These shops cater to the middle- to high-end sector of the market. However, I think it would be impossible to ignore the mass market, so we recently also introduced ready-made bird’s nest drinks. You’ll see them right beside the usual soft drinks in the refrigerators in supermarkets and some convenience stores. I visit these supermarkets and stores and get feedback from the staff to understand how well the drink has been received. On a regular basis, I also meet with suppliers. Many are from Indonesia and our main supplier who has been working with us for over 30 years is from Surabaya. When they give me bird’s nests to try, I will cook and try them, taking detailed notes as I go along.

Last year, you launched a new brand of bespoke edible bird’s nest with Chinese real estate magnate Huang Youlong called Long Ming Xuan. Briefly describe the steps involved in customising bird’s nest.
Bespoke bird’s nest is for people who have taken bird’s nest before. It would be challenging to do an accurate customisation if a client does not first know what they like or dislike. The customisation process starts with an initial consultation where I will ask the client a series of questions about the bird’s nest they currently consume and what they like or dislike about it, for instance, do they prefer a smoother consistency or something with more bite. I do a lot of tastings in my job and with the information I get from the client, I will instantly know which category that particular bird’s nest belongs to and where I can get it. These days, people are very concerned about the safety of this product. I can state very precisely where a particular bird’s nest is from just by the taste, thanks to simple tasting notes I take during my tastings with suppliers. These are much like the tasting notes a wine or tea connoisseur would have. I will match my notes about my client’s preference with a top-quality bird’s nest.

After I have identified the category of bird’s nest they like (and there are so many different areas that all produce different bird’s nest, and it takes time and an acute sense of smell and taste to understand the nuances in all of them), I will set up another meeting where I will prepare the sample for them to try. In a way, I am also showing them how to better appreciate the product, by showing them advising them on how to prepare it as well as how to enjoy it.

What’s your favourite way to enjoy bird’s nest?
Most people take it as a form of dessert, or double-boiled with some rock sugar, but bird’s nest can be savoury, too. I recently thought about replacing shark’s fin with bird’s nest at Chinese banquets, so in line with the whole anti-shark fin movement, we’ve been introducing this idea to popular Chinese restaurants here. We recently worked with Si Chuan Dou Hua where the delicacy was used in a number of savoury dishes. We are planning to work with other Chinese restaurants too.

With your clear complexion, you’re clearly a poster boy for the benefits of consuming bird’s nest. Have the purported benefits of taking bird’s nest been scientifically proven?
Many people I meet compliment me about my complexion, which I put down to the good genes I inherited from my parents. While there are so many different qualities of bird’s nest around, I believe the health benefits that they offer are the same. These benefits have not been scientifically proven but there is a lot of research into this going on, particularly in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. Some researchers have actually broken down the components of bird’s nest and found that it has components that promote cell reproduction and regeneration, protects the immunity system and aids metabolism. Personally, I find that taking bird’s nest once a week helps to soothe my delicate stomach, strengthen my lungs and improve my complexion. Apart from weekly preparations of my own, I also consume it when I do samplings, which happens several times a week.

Photography: Lionel Lai/Acepix
Grooming: Benedict Choo

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