燕窩的種類 TYPES OF BIRD'S NEST

並非所有燕窩都可以食用﹐一般的燕子築巢多是用樹枝﹑雜草和泥土組成﹐所以並不能食用﹔只有 一種分佈在東南亞的金絲燕﹐它會吐出唾液結於懸崖峭壁並築成窩巢﹐再經人工採集﹑剔毛除污後才是可以食用的燕窩﹔其中白燕和黃燕是較常見的食用燕窩﹐而血 燕窩則因产量少﹑顏色特殊而被視為珍品。其實﹐燕窩會有不同顏色的原因很多﹐如金絲燕的種類﹑棲息地点及食物的不同﹑唾液受空氣氧化等﹐都是造成燕窩 不同顏色的原因。燕窩以形狀分則有盞﹑條﹑餅﹑塊﹑絲﹑碎﹑球等。以質地計有屋燕﹑洞燕﹑毛燕﹑草燕和沒有商業價值的土燕。

Not all bird’s nests are edible, it is because most swallows build their nests with twigs, straw and earth which are not edible. The only type of edible nest is made by the golden swallow which lives in South East Asia.

It spits out saliva onto cliffs to make nests and these are only made edible after harvesting and removal of feathers. Among these, the white bird’s nest and yellow bird’s nest are common while blood bird’s nests are rare, and due to its peculiar colour, it has been regarded as a precious product.

Actually, there are many reasons as to the differences in the colour of bird’s nest. In the case of the golden swallow, possible reasons for the difference in colour of the bird’s nests may be due to differences in nesting locations and the different types of food they take and oxidation of the saliva by the air.

Bird’s nests come in various shapes including whole pieces, strips, cakes, pieces, broken pieces and balls. In terms of quality, it is divided into various categories such as house bird’s nest, cave bird’s nest, feathered bird’s nest, grass bird’s nest and the earth bird’s nest which is commercially valueless.