Authentic bird's nest soup is made using the nests of the swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout southeast Asia.  The swiftlet lives in dark caves, using a method of echo-location similar to bats. Instead of twigs or straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of its own saliva, which hardens when it's exposed to air.  Humans who harvest the swiftlet nests often come from poor islander families that have made their living this way for generations.  Prying the nests from the cave walls is extremely dangerous, and many harvesters die each year doing this job.

Once the nests are harvested, they're cleaned and sold to restaurants, where they are served simmered in chicken broth. While I have never tried authentic bird's nest soup, apparently it is an acquired taste.  Quite popular in Asia, perhaps because it has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac.  Since it is very costly; many western restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting of soup with noodles shaped like a bird's nest.

Earning the name "Caviar of the East", bird's nest soup has been served in China for 400 - 700 years, with the primary ingredient being saliva nests built by the cave swifts. Among one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans it is believed to aid digestion, raise libido, and even alleviate asthma as it is dissolved in water to create a gelatinous soup. In Hong Kong, a bowl of bird's nest soup would cost between $10 and $30, a kilogram of white bird's nest can cost up to $2,000 per gram, and a kilogram of red bird's nest for as much as $10,000!

Origination of this bizarre dish is believed by some to have come from the kitchen of a Royal Chef who prepared the dish for his Emperor who was quite fanatical about receiving gourmet dishes each day that were different and exotic. The story goes like this ...

The Emperor had decreed that if the cook could not prepare a new and different dish daily, that he would not only lose his position as the Royal Cook, but also his head.

One day the Royal Cook decided to take a walk near the harbor to see if he could find something new and exotic to cook. He came across a merchant who had showed him a bird's nest from Borneo. "How do I cook this?" says the cook, looking at the bird's nest.

"You're the cook. They eat this in Borneo; It has some potent longevity properties, that's what I was told," said the merchant.

True to his profession, the cook did his best and prepared the bird's nest in a form of soup.

Knowing the Emperor's passion for Feng Shui and longevity, the Royal Cook cunningly presented the soup with a dragon on one side and a phoenix on the other, with the soup in the middle.

"What have you brought me today?" asked the Emperor.

"Longevity soup, Your Highness," replied the Royal Cook.

The Emperor's eyes lit up, and he eagerly tasted the soup. It smelled sweet and aromatic, just as he liked it; however, when he tasted the soup, it was plain. The Royal Cook held his breath.

"this tastes like ordinary soup," the Emperor said, "I can get this anywhere in my Kingdom."

"Taste it again, please, Your Majesty," urged the cook. The Emperor took another spoonful. "It still tastes ordinary." "Please take one more sip, Your Majesty," the cook urged again, fearful for his life. "All right, but if I don't taste anything different, I'll have your head," threatened the Emperor.

The cook had to think fast. "In Borneo..." he started.

The Emperor's eyes lit up, because he knew that it was an exotic place. The pillars of the Forbidden City were made from timbers that came from Borneo.

"In Borneo, people eat this soup for longevity. It keeps the people young and healthy. It lengthens their years, and they live long and prosperous lives because of this soup." The cook went on about the benefits of the soup, emphasizing the longevity properties of the dish.

"Ahhh, an exotic dish. Why didn't you say so? This dish is fit for an Emperor," the Emperor decreed.

The Royal Cook sighed with relief, as the Emperor continued to relish his dish.

Once the Emperor had finished his meal, he announced that the longevity soup was to be served to him on a regular basis, and the Royal Cook was duly rewarded.

And if you're wondering, the Emperor lived a very long, healthy and prosperous life.