Q: With swallow bird becomes farmed bird that produces nests, how could the swallow nests prices still be very high?
A: While most swallow bird indeed live in farms, but they are not human raised and fed (They are similar to bee farms). However, bee farm is generally easier to manage, as the farmer will move ‘the farm’. This is not the case for swallow nest farms. The swallow bird population in certain areas is limited with certain uncontrollable issues (e.g.: certain insect population, as its diet). As the market demand is steadily growing, to boost the supply is relatively difficult and slow.
Q: I notice the size of swallow bird nests. With that small size, how could it accommodate a couple of swallow birds?
A: Unlike many other birds, swallow bird does not live IN its nest. It just perches on the edge of the nest. The nest is just for laying their eggs and later, for their chicks.
Q: After I cooked the nest I bought, the soup is watery and the nest is completely dissolved. What is the problem?
A: While it’s possible that you have overcooked the nest (for how to cook, please visit our Recipes), it also might be because you purchased poor quality swallow nest. Please read our Purchase Tips.
Q: I just bought a swallow nest from a store, after I soaked for around 2 hours, the nest is expanded but split into 2 pieces. Is it normal?
A: No, it’s not normal. Unfortunately, it seems the nest you bought made from 2 smaller pieces that were ‘glued’ together. Since the glue is usually water soluble, the nest will break apart once it’s immersed in water. The worse scenario if part of it is just ‘crumbs’. This is a practice so that the poor quality nest can be sold in higher price.
Q: I saw some swallow nest soup products in the market without an expiration date on it. Is it possible that the product will never be spoiled forever?
A: No. There is no such a product that will never be spoiled forever. The cap sealer is acting as a barrier, so air that contains some airborne organism can not penetrate the container. However, over period of time eventually the cap sealer will be deformed to allow some air to penetrate the container, and spoil the product. Please beware if the product does not have expiration date on it, as you might consume expired product that can affect to your health.
Q: How come there are great price differences for swallow nest soup products in the market?
A: The real quality determination for a swallow nest soup product is the swallow nest content in the soup, quality and quantity-wise. Please read our Purchase Tips.
