A delicacy not just for the haves

The central coast city of Nha Trang is famous for Yen Sao, the name of the nest of Salangane or swifts. The bird nest is a delicacy used to make soups, which were eaten daily by the country’s kings in the past.

Nha Trang is the capital city of Khanh Hoa Province on the coast of the East Sea with a population of about 300,000. For years, the city has been a well-known tourist attraction because of its natural beauty, such as the sandy beaches and Nha Trang Bay, which is one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

The city is also well known for its 12 islands that are home to salangane. Each year, local residents exploit about 2,000 kilograms of swifts.

The birds build their nest high on the walls of the caves on the islands. To reach the nest, harvesters must climb on bamboo ladders, so they should be brave and cautious. It may be a lucrative business but hanging off the roof of a cave and it is dangerous to make a living and there have been fatalities in the past. Moreover, the birds only produce one nest a year.

The bird nest comes in two types, white and red. The nest is made out of the bird’s saliva. Usually, a bird creates one nest a year during springtime, using both parents’ saliva. Since there is such demand for their nest, which is believed to have medicinal properties, locals remove the nest several times a year, forcing the birds to continue producing the nests.

At present, the exploitation of bird nests is under the management of Khanh Hoa Swift Co. They apply many advanced methods to harvest swift with an aim to preserve and protect the precious birds. This variety of nest costs their weight in gold and the main processed swift nests are exported to foreign countries.

The price is about VND60 million per kg, so some residents have never tried swift-made meals because of the high price.

To bring king-favored meals to ordinary people, the company has designed a Dao Yen-Hon Noi tour that helps visitors learn more about swift life and enjoy the natural landscapes of the famous islands.

Travelers will have the chance to enjoy salangane soup at a price of only VND180,000 per bowl. The soup is made from swift nest mixed with sugar and it is believed to improve dinners’ health. The tour has lured many foreign and local visitors.

People can now easily purchase processed swift nest distributed by Khanh Hoa Swift Co. at stores.