How can one distinguish between genuine and fake bird's nests in today's diverse edible bird's nest market? There are a few ways to identify fake nests and nests that have been adulterated. Fake nests are often made from starch and look similar to glass noodles. When soaked, they lack the fragrant and slightly fishy scent similar to the egg white of a real bird's nest.
1. Completely Fake Nests:
These are typically made from starch and resemble glass noodles. When soaked, they do not have the fragrant and slightly fishy scent similar to the egg white of a real bird's nest. These can be detected if tested with iodine.
2. Adulterated and Fragmented Nests:
These are usually broken bird's nests or thin ones that have been patched or filled with starch or cleaned bird's nest fragments. Ways to identify include:
- The nest fibers are stiff and stick together.
- Often shaped into the form of a bird's nest, if observed closely, you can see fragments and filler material in the middle, with some long fibers arranged unnaturally on the outside.
3. Sugar Adulterated Nests:
Another method of adulteration involves using chemically treated sugar to bulk up refined nests, increasing weight and retaining moisture, thus preventing it from drying out. Ways to identify include:
- Tasting a strand of the nest reveals a sweet flavor.
- The nest feels soft and pliable, and cannot dry out.
- It emits a peculiar chemical sugar smell.
4. Bleached Nests:
These use bleach for whitening and to remove feathers. Ways to identify include:
- Unnaturally fluffy white appearance.
- Emits a bleach smell, especially when soaked in water.
5. Fake Blood Nests:
Fake blood nests are typically harvested from caves. They are often white house nests that have been dyed. Ways to identify include:
- The color of these fake blood nests is very uniform and deep.
- The base of the nest is unnaturally large due to its origin from white house nests.
