Sunday, October 28, 2012

Swiftlet House Thief






Security is one of our main concern in everyday life. We must feel safe before we can do anything else. Can you work if you know your building can collapse at any moment or your house doors broken and you live in dangerous neighborhood? We can't concentrate working,right? Now,the real question is how about swiftlet?

Swiftlet is like human, they must feel safe before they build their nest. Their nest is a place where they leave their children, so swiftlet choose the place very carefully. If you want to know about swiftlet natural enemies, you can read about it in HERE.

What I want to talk about is your swiftlet house security. Let's not even mention how many dollars you will lose if a thief visit your swiftlet house but how your swiftlet feels. Thiefs will not tried to take it peacefully, they will take it roughly and as they pleased. Not only that, because thief usually came in night where your swiftlet sleeping. The only way for them to rob you is to take the nest while waking up your swiftlet.

This will stressed your swiftlet greatly. Picture this, you got home and you found out that your house has been robbed or you got home and then someone came with a gun taking everything you have while you can only watch. Which is more traumatic? I think it will be the later. There are many stories about a swiftlet house got robbed and then the swiftlet left the house never came back.

Beware, a crime did not happen just because there are a motive but it also can happen because someone saw an opportunity.

To prevent thief from entering swiftlet house you can build a higher wall surrounding your swiftlet house with approximately 4 m height and use barbed wire, glass shards and eletricity. This will keep your swiftlet house safe for most thief.

A very determined thief will tried to dig tunnel to your swiftlet house. Yep, you didn't read wrong. There are some cases where the thief dig a tunnel to your swiftlet house, with this he can get past your wall. To counter this, some people use stone and cement to solidify the floor, others use more extreme measure which using steel plates all over the floor.

But the best defense is your neighborhood. Every time you harvest your swiftlet nest, use some of that money for your community. Build something or host something, anything to show that you are grateful to them for their help making you success. With this, they will help you guard your swiftlet house in case of thief because they will lose something too if you get robbed.


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Swiftlet's Nest Soup


Ingredients :
- 2 ounces of Bird’s nest
- 6 tablespoons of crushed rock sugar
- 2 cups of water

Optional Ingredients:
1 small Ginsengs
3-5 Cordyceps sinensis
Luo Han Guo

Method :
1. Soak the swiftlet’s nest overnight until it softens.
2. Pick the loose feathers and dirt found in the nest and rinse well.
3.  Bring a pot of water to boil and simmer the swiftlet's nests for about 5 minutes.
4.  Again rinse well and squeeze dry.
5. Place the swiftlet's nest in the pot and add 2 cups of water.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer until the swiftlet's nest are quite soft.
7. Add the rock sugar, stirring to dissolve.
8. Add the optional ingredients.
9. Cook for 2.5 hours with small heat.
10. After it cooked, let it cool for 5-10 mins.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Swiftlet's Nest Benefit Myth or Not?


In the chinese history, it is said only the king and it's nobles can eat swiftlet's nest. The reason is because it can help enhancing your health, treat various diseases, increase your regeneration after sickness and even prolong your life.

After a little research, I can't find a complete report regarding the use of swiftlet's nest in medicine (if you find one, hope you can be kindful and share it with us). So, I tried to read other's people article and hope they can provide me with more insight.

Anyway, there's a rumour in Indonesia (which supply 70% demand of swiftlet's nest in the world) that in recent research in USA, French, and Japan using bio modern technology or whatever state of the art you are using for checking something biologically.

The research state that there are only common vitamins, proteins in swiftet's nest. Not only that, in fact
you can find the same nutritions in fish. I already tried to find the real report, but so far i can't found it so I can't say it's only a rumor or a true research.

From another source, they said the swiftlet's nest contain the Epidermal Growth Factor or EGF proven by a German chemist, Emilfischer.

EGF is able to stimulate the fission and propagation of various cells, promote cell divison, repair skin damage speedily and bring about the healing of wounds caused by surgery and injuries. It affects the fineness and ageing of human skin and it motivates ageing skin, rejuvenating it and bringing back for it's luster and elacity.

And from HERE, also said almost the same thing. That the swiftlet's nest contain a EGF that used for ageing resistance.  He even post that swiftlet's nest contains aspartic aicd, glutamic acid, praline, threonine and valine that can facilitate normal body functions such as cell repair and promote immunity.
But he also said that it's still not yet to be conclusively proven and need furthere studies.

Don't know which one is true, i mean i will looks like an idiot if i eat a swiftlet's nest only to found out i can have the same nutritions if i buy a fish. But it looks like the part that swiftlet's nest contains EGF is true.

What do you think? Will you eat a swiftlet's nest or just go buy a bunch of fish?

source:
http://birdnest.my/bird_06.htm
http://www.business-in-asia.com/industries/birdnest_for_health.html

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Swiftlet’s Nest soup with Mushroom




Ingredients :
8 oz. of swiflet's nests.
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger root, chopped
- 4 oz. of cooked chicken, cubed
- 4 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
- 8 oz. canned quail eggs, drained
- 7 ½ cups chicken stock

Method : 
  1. Soak the swiftlet' nest in water for 5 minutes, then drain.
  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan.
  3. Add the ginger and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Stir in the chicken, mushrooms, eggs and stock and bring to boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and add swiftlet's nests/ Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Serve at once in bowls.