Talk:Bird's nest soup

Talk:Bird's nest soup

Contents

* 1 Impact on Swiftlets
* 2 Blood red
* 3 Chinese name
* 4 Taste
* 5 Ramen Noodles
* 6 harvesting
* 7 Health Benefits
* 8 Chemical composition
* 9 nest construction

Impact on Swiftlets

Perhaps the article would benefit by mentioning whether or not harvesting swiftlet nests is a problem for the species. The article mentions that the nests are built during the breeding season. Are they harvested only after the breeding is done? 76.23.152.119 (talk) 18:49, 18 February 2008 (UTC) R.E.D.

I'd like to know too. It sounds like a cross between something only a poacher on a bounty hunt would risk his neck for & harvesting honey (bee vomit). I read somewhere that they are harvested by the numbers & that the birds have to make the nests over & over until blood stains the nests. & who was the first idiot who looked at a nest made of solid drool & though it would be tasty? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.17.118.100 (talk) 02:21, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Blood red

The blood red nests are mentioned several times in the article, but not exactly defined. I know what they are from a fictional book, but it would be good if someone could give an explanation and a source for them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.114.211.52 (talk) 21:17, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

(I'll find a source later) What happens is that after building the nests several times, the gland that produced the material in the bird become exhausted, and sometimes the bird may bleed due to exhuasion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.126.75.181 (talk) 17:40, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

I am told that the red coloration is actually due to the growth of a red fungus and not blood. 86.136.143.199 (talk) 00:29, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Good evening sir, would your prefur your bird salyva with blood or fungus this evening? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.17.118.100 (talk) 02:23, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

I added the POV-check template to this article. The article states:

Some believe that taking all the nests benefits the swiftlets because the female will not lay her eggs in an old nest. Old nests are along cave walls where new nests could be built. Whether or not this idea of ‘cave cleaning’ benefits the swiftlet population, the method should still be limited.

Isn't this opinion (SHOULD be limited, regardless of its benefits or lack thereof) rather than fact? PubliusFL 14:02, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Chinese name

Is the Chinese name simply "swallow's nest" or can it have "soup" (tang) in the name? Badagnani 05:18, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Depends on what you are talking about. If you are referring to the nest itself, then it would be "swallow's nest', if you are talking about the soup made from it, then add the word soup. (duh) User:cecikierk

Taste

FOr those of us who will never eat it, please tell us how it tastes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.235.88.168 (talk • contribs)

I remember trying it back when Hong Kong was still British. If I recall correctly it tasted pretty much the same way a chicken coop smells. --GSchjetne (talk) 22:29, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

Ramen Noodles

I know that, when I was growing up, this term was used to refer to Ramen noodles. I understand this usage to be mistaken. What I want to know is, is this mistake common. If so, it might bear mentioning in the article.

-- trlkly 02:24, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

I've tried this in Hong Kong, and I can tell you that it tastes like avian exrement. 70.95.233.49 12:45, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

harvesting

I commented out the sentence "The nests also contain argan oilmade from argan nut.". The Argan nut is from Morocco. The cave swiftlet is not. This was almost certainly an edit by someone who either mis-read or misunderstood the Massimo Marcone reference. The only connection to the argan nut and bird's nest soup is that the food scientist Massimo Marcone talks about investigating both items (separately, obviously, since they're not in the same place) in his latest book "In Bad Taste?".24.192.186.101 22:56, 18 August 2007 (UTC)


Health Benefits

It would be of interest to the readers to discuss the health benefits (and the supporting journal publications, for example) if any for such a delicacy. --Wikhull (talk) 02:21, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Chemical composition

In the article the metal ions content are given. Does anyone know the chemical composition of the bird's nest? For example I presume the material contains proteins, and possibly glycoproteins to give it stickiness, does anyone know the amino acid composition? 86.136.143.199 (talk) 00:35, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

nest construction