Bird's nests are one of the most expensive foods in the world. Harvesting the nests from rocky mountain caves is difficult and dangerous work.
The Ida'an people have been collecting bird's nests from the Madai caves in Sabah, eastern Malaysia, for centuries. Many have even "inherited" cave areas from their ancestors, swapping them every 10 years or so for extra profit.
With no safety gear other than a helmet, the collectors risk their lives climbing to heights of more than 150 meters to collect the nests. British photographer Andrew Newey came to Madai to take a photo series. Newey said there have been many cases of nest collectors leaving their bodies in caves.
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| There are three times a year to harvest bird's nests in spring, summer and autumn, after the swiftlets build new nests. It takes about 30 - 35 days for the swiftlets to build a nest. |
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| To prepare for collecting the bird's nests, the young men will climb in from the outside, using ropes to secure them from the ceiling of the cave. Then, they will lower the ropes down into the cave through the openings. |
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| From there, the bird nest collectors will hang themselves on ropes, using handmade bamboo ladders (with additional rings attached). This special ladder will be raised up against the cave wall like scaffolding. |
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| Nest collectors use bamboo rings on ladders to lean against. The nest collection process must be completed before the birds lay eggs to avoid disrupting their living habits. Otherwise, the birds will not lay eggs for the rest of the year. |
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| However, collectors must be very careful not to collect the nests too quickly, because if the nests are not full, they will not be suitable for sale. They will have to choose the time to collect the nests when the female birds are out foraging for food all day. |
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| During the day, the sun shines into the cave, leaving some areas light and others completely dark. Therefore, the collectors must always carry a lamp to work. |
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| After collecting the first nests, the bird will build more nests. When the third nest is built, it will give birth and raise its young. The nest collectors will wait for the next 3 months until the young birds are big enough to fly, then prepare for the next harvest season. |
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| Bird’s nests still have feathers when they are first taken down, they need to be cleaned before being sold. Traditionally, people used manual tools to clean the nests, but now there are machines to handle this step. |
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| Once collected, the nests are exported to China. Newey said that the Chinese occasionally send people to supervise the harvesting process. Despite the hard work, the profits from the nests go mainly to the Chinese importers, not the collectors. |
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| White bird’s nests typically cost between $5,000 and $6,000 per kilogram. The rarer red bird’s nests can fetch up to $10,000 per kilogram. Bird’s nest soup is a popular, thick, nutritious dessert. Newey said he tried a small bowl of bird’s nest soup for $50. |
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| According to Massimo Marcone, a culinary expert at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, nearly 70% of bird's nest is protein. Therefore, this is a world-famous premium food. |
According to VNE
