A History of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is one of the most famous but also most controversial delicacies in Chinese cuisine. Many people are willing to spend small fortunes on this soup as they believe eating Swiftlet’s Spit Soup will help them keep the last of their youth as well as have a long healthy life and a strong body. It’s believed a solution for these is to eat a bowl of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup.
But the nutritional truth is if you want Swiftlet’s Spit Soup to work its magic you will have to consume this soup regularly.
Just consuming a small bowl of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup won’t bring your youth back or give you a long life. Some Swiftlet’s Spit Soup promoters say a regular diet of 10 grams a day is necessary.

A History of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

Swiftlet’s Spit Soups are made by the saliva of the swiftlet and the saliva is produced by the glands under the tongue. Swiftlets are small birds usually found in South-East Asia. The swiftlet lives in dark caves and similar to bats use echolocation to move around. Instead of twigs and straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of its own gummy saliva which hardens when exposed to air.
This is where the controversy also comes in. Swiftlets are an endangered species and the more nests that are consumed the closer swiftlets head towards extinction. Swiftlets are especially endangered in areas like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are also places like Dazhou Island and Hainan where the Chinese government has banned harvesting Swiftlet’s Spit Soups as swiftlets are nearly extinct in these locations.

Harvesting Nests

Today in many places, for example, Malaysia and Thailand, people have started farming the swiftlet’s to collect their nests. These farms are using empty houses as swiftlet’s homes.
Some of the processes of harvesting nests are extremely dangerous. The nest collector usually uses a very narrow, shaky, and long wooden ladder which they climb on top of to reach the nests which are usually located at the top of caves.
Many nest collectors have lost their lives because of this.

History of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

Chinese people began consuming Swiftlet’s Spit Soup during the Ming Dynasty and in some tales, it’s believed Zhen He (鄭和), who was a Chinese explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, was the first person in Chinese history to eat Swiftlet’s Spit Soup.
There are different grades of Swiftlet’s Spit Soup which are red, yellow, and white. The red Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is known in Chinese as the “blood-red Swiftlet’s Spit Soup (血燕). The red Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is the rarest. Some people believe the blood red Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is made of the swiftlet's blood but that’s not true at all. The reason the Swiftlet’s Spit Soup turn “blood red” is due to different diet and contained more mineral and different kind of nutrition.

Consuming Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

The Swiftlet’s Spit Soup doesn’t really have a lot of taste and the texture is a bit like softened gelatin and jelly. Chinese people usually cook Swiftlet’s Spit Soup with rock sugar and serve as a sweet dessert soup. Some people prefer to cook Swiftlet’s Spit Soup without rock sugar but mix it with some warm milk. The cooking process is extremely critical for cooking Swiftlet’s Spit Soup. Microwave cooking or boiling on a stove will lose any taste it has as well as lose any of its nutritional values.
The common way to cook Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is to slowly and gently steam it after soaking it in water.

The Nourishing Medicinal Benefits of Edible Swiftlet’s Spit Soup

Swiftlet’s Spit Soups are prepared with nests of Swiftlets birds and are mostly consumed in Asia and several other parts of the world. But why exactly would anyone consider taking such soup? The answer is simple. The nests are nourishing and contain nutrients that act as medicines for general well-being.

Swiftlet’s Spit Soups are Nutritious

It has been scientifically proven that Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is made up of several minerals. However, glycoproteins which contain a combination of carbohydrate and protein properties are the major nutrients it contains.
The nests contain all the important amino acids which are the primary building blocks of protein. Specifically, six different types of Amino acids are found in Swiftlet’s Spit Soup which are amide, humin, arginine, cystine, histidine and lysine. The entire level of mono-amino acids found in it is about 6 percent.

The entire protein in the nest constitutes about 85 percent, and fat of 0.3 percent. Also, Swiftlet’s Spit Soup contain 2.5 percent ash, nitrogen of 10.3 percent, and carbohydrate that is up to the level of 17.4 percent. Furthermore, it contain a significant level of vitamin B1, sulphur, arsenate and phosphorus.
During consumption, the energy value per 100g portion is placed at 345 kilocalories. Other minerals found in the nest are iron and calcium. Calcium can build strong bones and teeth in children and adults.

Natural Source of Food and Nutrition

Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is an absolute source of unique food and nutrition and it is 100% natural. They are the nests of Swiftlets which are built mostly during breeding seasons to raise their young ones. The nests are made up of the bird's saliva which contains several nutrients that is beneficial to humans.
Swiftlefts nests are absolutely safe to eat for anyone: babies, kids, and teenagers, adults male or female, young and old. The soup is absolutely safe for pregnant women too.
Also, the soup is strongly recommended for those convalescing. The nutrients in the nests can speed up the recovery process and makes healing faster. Since the soup is a rich source of food and nutrition, it is important to carefully examine all the nutrients that it contains.

What Your Body Benefits When You Consume Swiftlet’s Spit Soups

The following are some of the major benefits of consuming the soup:

Renews Cell

Several research findings have strongly indicated that it contain collagen (an active protein molecule). Collagen stimulates the renewal of cells in the epidermis. Also, collagen bolsters cells immunity and boost resistance of the body toward harms that are caused by exposure to X-rays. Collagen speed up the healing of wound, stimulates healthy hair growth, improves development of the brain and prevents bone diseases.
Improves Body Wellness: one of the first major benefits of the soup is that it improves general body wellness. It strengthens every aspect of the body, bones, tissue and cells. Regular consumption of the soup will make you feel absolutely healthier. It energizes the immune system and leaves you with lower risk of contracting any disease.
Also, the soup fortifies the entire human immune system, makes the weak and old stronger; improve respiratory system in children and adult. Also, it helps children and adult learn better and faster by boosting their level of concentration. Additionally, regular consumption of the soup boosts libido.
Balanced Diet: it contain major nutrients that can replenish the body as balanced diet. It contains water, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, fat, nitrogen, protein and all the major amino acid necessary for proper functioning of the body. As such, the soup are considered a balanced diet that can be eaten by anyone.
Builds Healthy Beautiful Skin: it stimulate healthy growth of the skin which results in a radiant and adorable skin. This was one of the first nutritional benefits of the nests that were discovered. The wives of ancient Chinese Emperors were known for consuming Swiftlet’s Spit Soup in order to maintain their beauty and dazzling skin.
Several research findings have further revealed how the nutrients in Swiftlet’s Spit Soups stimulate healthy skin growth and appearance. Swiftlet’s Spit Soups prevent and treat premature skin aging. Swiftlet’s Spit Soups incite cell division, build tissue, controls the endocrine system, clear off wrinkles and makes the skin glitter with beauty and youthfulness.
Reliable Source of Nutrients for Pregnant Women: it has been scientifically proven that Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is a rich source of nutrients for pregnant women and their unborn children (fetus). During the pregnancy (pre-natal) period, eating the soup will replenish and strengthen the body of the pregnant woman.
Women that consume Swiftlet’s Spit Soup during pregnancy always recover faster and better after childbirth. Such women experience lesser or no loss of hair, become stronger, and experience better sleep after childbirth.
As a rich source of calcium for pregnant women, Swiftlet’s Spit Soup fortifies liver and lungs and enhances metabolism. The unborn child too also benefits from the soup the mother consumes. Pregnant women that eat the soup give birth to healthier babies with beautiful smooth skin
Aid Digestion: the soup is a strong solution for indigestion. The nest contains several nutrients one of which is enzymes. Enzymes can easily act on food in the stomach to quicken the digestion process. Digestion releases the nutrients in food so the body can absorb and benefit from such nutrient. Also, Swiftlet’s Spit Soups accelerate the rate of metabolism.
Supplement to Other Food: it can be taken as supplement to other food mostly for children suffering of malnutrition. People placed on a particular diet for health reasons can consume Swiftlet’s Spit Soups as a supplement to their recommended diets. The nutrients in Swiftlet’s Spit Soup can supplement nutrients in other foods and replenish the body better and faster.

Source of Traditional Chinese Medicine

For many centuries, Swiftlet’s Spit Soups have been a unique source of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used for the treatment of several ailments, diseases and during convalesce. It is widely believed that the nest acts as anti-aging and anti-cancer properties.
Also, the Swiftlet’s Spit Soup is strongly recommended for the treatment of asthma, cold, cough, influenza, weak blood, and cancer. Also, it has been found to be potent in boosting libido, enhancing physical strength, and absolutely effective as a health tonic. Also, the soup is taken in order to increase lifespan and for the treatment of cough and asthma.