Bird's nest is expensive, so it is one of the foods most often bleached, dyed or bulked up to look better and weigh more. The good news is that a natural nest leaves clues you can see, smell and feel. Here is what we look for when we buy nests for our own workshop in Yaowarat, and what you can check at home.
Natural nest vs a nest that has been treated
| Natural, honestly cleaned | Warning sign | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Ivory, cream or warm gold, a little uneven | Paper-white or bright, perfectly even colour all over |
| Specks | A few tiny feathers or specks may remain | Spotless at a very low price |
| Smell | Light and clean, faintly eggy | Bleach, chemical or perfumed smell |
| Shape | Every nest slightly different | Cups that all look moulded alike |
| After soaking | Swells into separate, springy strands | Turns mushy, cloudy or dissolves |
| Red nest | Orange to rusty red, rare and priced high | Cheap, bright red, or colour that bleeds into water |
| Price | In line with the grade and type | Far below other shops for the same grade |
1. Look at the colour
Natural white nest is rarely pure white. It ranges from ivory to cream to warm gold, and the colour is a little uneven across the cup. A nest that is snow-white and perfectly even may have been bleached to hide dirt or feathers.
2. A few tiny feathers can be a good sign
Swiftlets build their nests with their own saliva, and small feathers get caught in the strands. Removing them by hand with tweezers is slow work. Some sellers use bleach or chemicals instead, which makes a nest look spotless very cheaply. At JUMAMA we clean every nest by hand with clean water only, never bleach or chemicals, so a few tiny feathers can remain however carefully we clean. They are easy to pick out after soaking. A completely spotless nest at a low price is worth a second look.
3. Smell it
A natural nest smells light and clean, a little like egg white. A sharp bleach or chemical smell, or a sweet perfumed smell, is a warning sign.
4. Check the shape
Every nest is built by a swiftlet, so no two are the same size or shape, and some look less neat than others. Cups that all look identical, very thick or moulded may have been shaped or glued from pieces.
5. Soak a small piece
This is the most useful test at home. Soak a small piece in clean, cool water for a few hours. A natural nest swells, stays in separate springy strands and keeps the water mostly clear. A nest bulked up with starch, gelatine or other fillers may turn mushy, cloudy or start to dissolve. Our How to Enjoy guide shows how we soak and stew nest at the shop.
6. Be careful with cheap red nest
Natural red nest ranges from orange to rusty red and is rare, so it always costs more than white. Be wary of red nest that is cheap, an unnaturally bright red, or colour that bleeds into the soaking water, as white nests are sometimes dyed. Read more in our guide to the types of bird's nest.
7. Buy from a seller who can answer questions
Ask where the nest comes from, how it was cleaned and how it was graded. A good seller can tell you. Packaged bird's nest products sold in Thailand should also show a Thai FDA (อย.) number on the label.
How we clean our nests
Every nest we sell is soaked, picked clean by hand with tweezers using clean water only, and graded 3A to 5A in our own workshop. Because we never bleach, our nests keep their natural colour and their natural differences in shape. See our dry bird's nest, or visit us in Yaowarat and Banthat Thong to see and smell the nest before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if bird's nest has been bleached?
Bleached nest is often paper-white with a perfectly even colour, may smell of bleach or chemicals, and is spotless even at a low price. Natural nest is ivory to cream, a little uneven, smells light and clean, and may have a few tiny feathers.
Is it normal to find a tiny feather in bird's nest?
Yes. Swiftlets build nests with their own saliva and small feathers get caught in the strands. When a nest is cleaned by hand with water only, without bleach or chemicals, a few tiny feathers can remain. They are easy to pick out with tweezers after soaking.
How do I test bird's nest at home?
Soak a small piece in clean, cool water for a few hours. A natural nest swells into separate, springy strands and keeps the water mostly clear. A nest bulked up with fillers may turn mushy, cloudy or start to dissolve.
How can I tell if red bird's nest is dyed?
Natural red nest is orange to rusty red, rare and priced higher than white. Be wary of red nest that is cheap, an unnaturally bright red, or whose colour bleeds into the soaking water.
Where can I buy naturally cleaned bird's nest in Bangkok?
At JUMAMA in Yaowarat and Banthat Thong, or online with delivery across Thailand. Every nest is cleaned by hand with water only, never bleach or chemicals, and graded 3A to 5A in our own workshop.