In preparation for a new episode of the Smörgåsbord Podcast, we're reliving some old episodes of the show.

This week, we look back at the time when Angel and Mik discover that even bird spit can be made into food!

In today’s episode of Smörgåsbord, Angel and Mik explore bird spit. In certain parts of the world, there is a dish called bird’s nest soup, which is made out of the spit of a small bird, a swiftlet. Strange as it is, this soup is also known to hold some healthy properties once consumed. But does it taste good at all?

In other news, Mik shares a story about a very big Nicki Minaj fan

00:00 Opening Song

00:43 Show introduction

03:38 An introduction to swiftlet nests 

06:15 Harvesting bird’s nests

07:46 The kinds of bird’s nests

10:58 Urban farming of birds nests 

12:00 The history of bird’s nest soup

14:38 Preparing bird’s nest soup

16:48 Health benefits of bird’s nest soup

24:36 Is it good?

26:35 What’s in your palette?

Resources from today’s episode:

Wikipedia

“Bird Saliva: The Premium Delicacy in Southeast Asia” by Golden Nest Inc

“Here’s why edible nests made of bird spit are a delicacy in China” by Agence France-Presse

“Would you pay Big Bucks for a bowl of Bird saliva?” by Danielle Fong

“Fair or fowl? New soft drink contains bird saliva” by Colin Simpson

“7 Things to know about bird’s nest” by Eu Yan Sang

“Waiter, There's Spit in My Soup: A Review” by Erik Trinidad

“This Expensive Soup Is Made From Bird Saliva” by Now This

“Inside the dangerous process that goes into collecting one of the most expensive food products in the world” by Talia Avakian

“Kota Kinabalu: What does bird saliva taste like?” by Emma Thomson

“Bird’s Nest Soup Is An Expensive Delicacy And It’s “Mm! Mm! Weird!”” by Katie Serena

“Travel: The truth about bird's nest soup” by Graham Hoyland

“Bird's Nest Soup” by Liv Wan 

Smörgåsbord Podcast is a show where we explore the rituals, myths and all things strange about the world of food. If you like what you hear, remember to subscribe to the show to get new episodes automatically downloaded to your device!

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This podcast is presented by Halo Halo Productions. Come check out their other shows at halohaloproductions.com