Bird's nest is formed by the saliva of swiftlets.
Bird's nests are nests formed by the saliva secreted by some rainbirds of the Rainbird family of the order Rainbird and several species of swiftlets of the genus Swiftlet, mixed with other substances. Bird's nest is also known as bird's nest, bird's nest root and bird's nest vegetable. According to the nesting place, it can be categorized into two kinds, namely, "House Bird's Nest" and "Cave Bird's Nest".
Cave Bird's Nests have different colors due to the minerals in the bird's nests, such as White Bird's Nests, Yellow Bird's Nests and Red Bird's Nests, while House Bird's Nests are only available in one color, Ivory White. The so-called "Blood Bird's Nest" on the market is rumored to be made from artificially farmed Bird's Nest through the "guano fumigation method". Bird's nests are mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar, as well as the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong in China.
The key points to identify the authenticity of bird's nests:
1. Look: The middle of the bird's nests is filamentous, while the corners of the bird's nests are flaky; pure bird's nests are not completely transparent, but translucent, no matter how they are dipped in water or viewed under the light.
2. Smell: Bird's nests of good quality should have a light seaweed aroma and should not have any odor. If you smell any pungent or unusual odor, it may be a sign that there is a problem with the quality of the bird's nest.
3. Touch: Take a small piece of bird's nest and soak it in water, then take the silk strip and pull it after it is softened, the elasticity is poor, and the one that breaks when you pull it is chemically processed; rub it with your fingers, and the one that has no elasticity and can be rubbed into a paste is also chemically processed. The weight of a single bird's nest is more than 10 grams, and the weight of a single bird's nest of high quality is about 6 to 8 grams.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Bird's Nest