Cornered by bird’s nest

EATING OUT  By YIP YOKE TENG  teng@thestar.com.my
Photos by RAYMOND OOI

Superb Diversified Sdn Bhd,
CG-3, Jalan Kasturi 5,
Taman Kasturi off Jalan Balakong,
Batu 11, Cheras.
Tel: 03-9080 1322/ 012-212 2498 (Lim)/
012-377 7985 (Loo)
Business hours: 10.00am to 3.00pm
(lunch only,closed on Sunday)
Pork-free.

Refreshing and nourishing: Bird’s Nest in Asian Pear lures with the fruity sweetness.

EATING bird’s nest gives one a sense of indulgence for the premium ingredient which is known to contain various nutritional properties. Bird’s nest is said to be effective in improving skin texture and complexion.
Edible bird’s nest is often savoured as a dessert, and the most common way of preparing it would be with rock sugar or at best with selected few ingredients such as ginkgo nuts and red dates that can complement its gelatinous texture.

But bird’s nest can be more than just dessert, in fact, the proprietors of Superb Diversified Sdn Bhd that specialises in bird’s nest have managed to whip up a full-fledged meal for gastronomes to appreciate the delicacy in different ways.

Silky texture: Bird’s Nest Congee is an all-time favourite.

This could not be done without creativity and an in-depth understanding of bird’s nest, as different cooking methods were explored to bring out the best flavours, without compromising on the nutritional values.
So, imagine what an experience it is to have bird’s nest for starter, main course and dessert, at the company’s restaurant in Balakong.

The company’s director Lim King Siong, who has a love for culinary since young and has decades of cooking experience, does it with homestyle flair.The savoury dishes including appetiser Bird’s Nest with Stir-Fried Egg and main course Bird’s Nest with Braised Mushroom, Sea Cucumber and Chicken, use the corners of bird’s nest.

“The corners of the nest are too hard and involves a painstaking process to make them consumable, so most people will just leave out this part, which is actually the most nutritious as it forms the foundation of the nest,” Lim said.

Juicy and flavourful: Bird’s Nest with Braised Mushroom, Sea Cucumber and Chicken.

The bird’s nest corners have to be soaked for one week with water replaced daily, before they can be used for cooking. According to Lim, this will not dilute the highly concentrated nutrients.,“We use the corners of red blood bird’s nest harvested from the caves for these dishes,” he said.

According to Lim, the cave blood bird’s nest with red strands is the most expensive among all due to high nutritional level, which is double the normal ivory-coloured bird’s nest. “This variant can only be harvested in remote areas such as deep caves, it is red because the swiftlets feed on red meat and very ripe fruits, and oxidisation has taken place. In fact, the longer blood bird’s nests are kept, the redder they become but no one stores them that way,” he said.

The appetiser, Bird’s Nest with Stir-Fried Egg is to be savoured with fresh lettuce for an added crunch. The small chucks of bird’s nest are juicy and gelatinous, the texture pairs well with egg. It is a heart-warming home-cooked dish with luxurious touch.

Creamy appeal: Pumpkin Bird’s Nest Soup lures with a creamy, aromatic flavour.

The bird’s nest works great in absorbing flavours, as proven when it is braised with mushroom, sea cucumber and chicken for the main course. Sinking your teeth into the springy pieces of bird’s nest allows the flavours to ooze out and fill the palate.

Bird’s Nest Congee is a favourite among the Chinese, and was apparently a staple for empresses and concubines in the old days. Lim’s version is smooth, flavourful and aromatic. The clean flavour whets one’s appetite, it is little wonder that they say this is the dish to treat anorexics. Still, the most pampering experience is offered by the bird’s nest desserts. Lim has conjured three recipes to appreciate the translucent strands of goodness. With every scoop, you feel good thinking that your cells will thank you for the nutrients pumped in.
The Pumpkin Bird’s Nest Soup is for those who love it creamy.

The soft pumpkin steamed to perfect tenderness as well as the web of moistened fibre blends well with bird’s nest. Bird’s Nest in Asian Pear lures with fruity sweetness, and is an exquisite taste that can win a girl’s heart instantly. The pear is steamed for hours to achieve the desired softness, so that it pairs perfectly with bird’s nest. In fact, Lim said steamed pears worked wonders for cough.

Luxurious starter: Bird’s Nest with Stir- Fried Egg, to be eaten with lettuce.

Bird’s Nest in Papaya appeals to those who love cold desserts. The papaya’s soft texture is naturally the ideal companion for the expensive strands of collagen. The dessert is refreshing, and it feels great to know that it is also healthy and nourishing.

A set meal of four bird’s nest dishes including Bird’s Nest with Braised Mushroom, Sea Cucumber and Chicken, Bird’s Nest with Stir-Fried Egg, Bird’s Nest Congee and Bird’s Nest in Papaya complemented with ginseng tea is available at RM600 (for three persons, the fourth person onwards will be charged RM50 each). Booking is required five days in advance. Pure Bird’s Nest soup is also available at RM60 per bowl, diners can opt to enhance it with ginkgo or red date.

This is the writer’s observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.

10K Model of Small Scale Swiftlet Premises

10K Model of Small Scale Swiftlet Premises

This is the latest R&D on the cheapest way to start swiftler ranching is currently carried out by DVS throughout Malaysia. The minimum size recommended is 16 X 20 feet x 28 feet tall. Sabah reported two of it premises has been colonied by swiftlet and building it's nest. 

So instead of building one house, you can build 10 houses and reduce your risk of losing money especially if your capital is limited. Once you had successfully attracted swiftlet  and build several nest, than you can invite investor to participate for expension or even sell your unit handsomely.

The internal temp is within the standard

It is a bit bright inside but you can do some modification

It is not impossible to produce 2 kg per year

Using cement board for a start

How to Protect Yourself from Radiation Exposure - Roseville California News including Rocklin & Placer County

How to Protect Yourself from Radiation Exposure - Roseville California News including Rocklin & Placer County

燕窩養成及適合採集時間

White Gold In Mukah

Four storey building - new concept and cheaper to make - Top two floor using cement board

Cluster house

Nice and neat

Gold mine

old

Regulations for the swiftlet industry

By Shenton Thomas De Silva

 
THE Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry has come up with the National Swiftlet Industry guidelines to standardise the regulations in the industry, Its minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the guidelines approved by the Cabinet last week would be sold for RM15 a copy.

He said present and future swiftlet operators would have to follow the guidelines to get a licence to breed the birds.m Noh said a prospective swiftlet operator would be screened and approved by the Veterinary Service Department, which is responsible for issuing licences for swiftlet premises."Among the target areas of the department are farming, processing, import and export, besides providing environment-friendly premises," said Noh.

"The steps taken by the department is meant to ensure high quality bird's nest production which fulfills the global standard requirements," he said after launching the Taman Industri Burung Walit Payamas key presentation ceremony in Tangkak.

Present were State Agriculture and Development committee chairman Datuk Aziz Karpawi, Veterinary Service Department deputy director (2) Datuk Dr Ismail Che Embong, State Veterinary Service Department director Datin Paduka Dr Fauziah Embong and Taman Burung Walit Payamas project chairman Datuk Saipol Bahari Suib.

The Taman Burung Walit Payamas project operated by Sialin Holding Sdn Bhd would be selling 42 farming units, priced between RM400, 000 and RM750, 000 per unit to prospective operators.

Noh said premises built in a district or municipality requires other conditions, such as approval from the local council.

Read more: Regulations for the swiftlet industry http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/19jbswif/Article/#ixzz1H5fLwHB6

Firm pens MoU with Swiftlet Eco Park

By YIP YOKE TENG
teng@thestar.com.my

NV Alliance Sdn Bhd, a member of NV Multi Asia Group, is introducing a new element to its bereavement service and investment after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Swiftlet Eco Park Berhad recently at its centre in Sungai Besi. With that, Nirvana is signing up 5,000 units of Swiftlet Eco Park’s Edible-Birdnest Swiftlet Ranching Interest Scheme, which is equivalent to an investment of RM50mil.

NV Alliance Sdn Bhd general manager Reeno Kong said the scheme was the first of its kind in Malaysia and it had obtained approval from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) while PB Trustee Service Berhad had been appointed as the trustee.

Win-win venture: Yu (seated, left) and Tan signing a MoU while (from left, standing) Reeno Kong, Datuk Kong Hon Kong, Dr Abdullah Fadzil and Loke look on. “This Interest Scheme Unit has the potential to generate returns of up to four times the value of the Nirvana products for a period of 35 years. This is based on projection, verification and confirmation made by independent consultant approved by CCM,” he said.

He said Nirvana was giving away 2,500 units to new and return purchasers of selected Nirvana products. The purchasers will also receive bird’s nest vouchers annually for the first six years. “With this promotion, our product gives the customer total peace of mind because the products have become as good as free. On top of that, the handsome return can be used for their retirement, family saving, children’s education, travelling, healthcare and many more. “I strongly believe that with Swiftlet Eco Park Berhad as our strategic partner, Nivana will bring the best value to our customers and we trust that the collaboration will propel us to greater heights this year,” he said.

Also present at the signing ceremony were NV Multi Asia Group founder cum managing director Datuk Kong Hon Kong, group chief operation officer Jerry Yu, corporate business development chief operation officer Au Kok Huei, Swiftlet Eco Park Group of Companies chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan, group managing director Loke Yeu Loong and chief executive officer Tan Chee Hong. Tan said the scheme was the first swiftlet ranching business licensed by the Malaysian government. “For RM10,000 of purchase price of one Interest Scheme Unit, this scheme is considered a low risk investment with expected high returns. According to projections by independent consultant of this scheme, each unit of the scheme will be able to earn RM270,000 in 35 years, an average annual return of over 75%,” he said.

He said the company built the country’s first cluster of eco-friendly and strategic swiftlet eco park infrastructure development in Manjung, Perak, in 2009. At present, the company has 14 such facilities in Peninsular Malaysia and has planned to increase this to 25 in the near future. “Today, Malaysia is one of the major producers of edible bird’s nest, with swiftlet ranching flourishing and the number of bird houses increasing. With the price of edible bird’s nest continuing to rise, the export prospects are great.

“If Malaysia seizes this opportunity and efficiently develops this industry, edible bird’s nest will surely bring huge foreign exchange into the country,” he said, adding that the units are tradable, transferable and come with a guarantee buy back option.

He said the collaboration with Nirvana would strengthen its revenue base and in turn, bring the best value to the customers. During the press conference, Datuk Kong Hon Kong said the investment units made available through Nirvana had attracted about 300 enquiries from purchasers within the first three days of the soft launch.

“We hope our customers will seize this opportunity as we are not sure how many units will still be available from Swiftlet Eco Park after this first batch of 5,000 are taken up,” he said. He added that Nirvana was confident of the scheme as it was approved by the Malaysian government and CCM, in addition to having PB Trustee Services Berhad as a custodian. Also, the company’s expertise and experience in swiftlet farming has also boosted their confidence.

George Town’s heritage status may be in jeopardy

By WINNIE YEOH
winnie@thestar.com.my
Photos by GARY CHEN

TAKE a walk around certain parts of George Town’s inner city such as Kimberly Street and Che Em Street, and one will be greeted by the unmistakable twittering of swiftlets in the air.

Artificial breeding: A swiftlet house on Lebuh Che Em in George Town.

These calls are not from the actual birds but recordings installed by owners of swiftlet houses to attract more of the avian to roost and breed in these heritage premises. The small birds are a subject of contention with the state government as George Town’s joint Unesco World Heritage Site status with Malacca may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heritage buildings here into swiftlet breeding pre-mises.

On Jan 14, Unesco issued a letter through Permanent Delegation of Malaysia to Unesco Ali Ab Ghani regarding the swiftlet issue in the inner city.

Avian occupants: Breeding of swiftlets for their nests is a lucrative business and a house on Muntri Street (above) and another on Chulia Street (below) have been converted into birdhouses.

Association for Swiftlet Nests Industry (ASNI) president Carole Loh said the association had not been informed of the letter issued by Unesco. “We hope the state government will furnish us with a copy of the letter so that we can better understand the concern of Unesco and respond to them accordingly. “Unesco has heard only one side of the story and it is only fair that we be given the opportunity to tell our side,” she said when contacted yesterday.

Loh said that many of the birdhouses were already in existence even before Unesco came in to audit the city in 2007, adding that some are 20 and even 30 years old. “Shouldn’t that be considered part of inner city’s living heritage? The houses were here then. It wasn’t an issue then, why is it an issue now?” she asked. 

Penang Heritage Trust council member Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson said the birds are all inside the houses which are disguised as nice heritage units. “The owners make them look nice outside and people will not realise it is a birdhouse unless they go to the back of the building. “The birds usually fly in and out of the buildings in the early morning and late evening,” she said.

She said Unesco’s “warning” letter was timely “to push things along”, adding that Unesco was concerned about this because many people had brought the issue up with them. Duckett-Wilkinson said she hoped the state government would do something about this. “They need to start showing the people that they are serious about the swiftlet issue,” she added.

Bird’s nest is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. Swiftlets are responsible for building the saliva nests. The edible bird’s nests are among the most expensive animal products in the world. The nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, most often as bird’s nest soup.

Penang Swift action on swiftlet breeding

By MANJIT KAUR and WINNIE YEOH
north@thestar.com.my

PENANG has swung into action since Jan 1 to ensure operators of swiftlet breeding premises move out from the George Town heritage enclave despite the Federal Government’s three-year grace period. State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) had taken steps to address the issue which resulted in 28 farms run by 27 operators being closed down. He said due to the low-profile enforcement, the public might not be aware of the processes that had taken place.

Chow said the council had identified swiftlet farms run by 121 operators in 128 heritage buildings in the inner city “We’re taking action gradually against the remaining 94 operators running the business in 101 premises,” he said, adding that the next enforcement would take place next month. He added that the council could not simply destroy the bird nests as they had to follow the instructions of the Veterinary Services Department on the right timing to do so. “There are certain seasons when these birds lay eggs in the nests, and we cannot just destroy them,” he added.

It was reported yesterday that the Malacca and George Town’s joint Unesco World Heritage Site status may be in jeopardy due to the conversion of heri- tage buildings into swiftlet breeding premises.

Unesco’s World Heritage Centre has expressed concern over the matter following a series of reports the organisation had received.

Centre director Francesco Bandarin said, in a letter dated Jan 14, the reports stated that there were 200 to 300 swiftlet farms in George Town. Chow said the MPPP had issued notices to the operators to stop the business at the heritage enclave, and some had been charged under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. He said enforcement or legal action could be taken against those who defied the ruling under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, “Under the law, we have the right to demolish the extended illegal structure, and to bring down the recording system played to attract these birds.

“We are also in the process of having joint meetings with the stakeholders, technical agencies and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “We are also serious about the operators restoring the building to its original structure once they move out,” he added Chow said George Town World Heritage Incorporated (WHI) general manager Maimunah Mohd Sharif had on Jan 25 responded to the National Heritage Department commissioner of heritage Prof Emeritus Datin Paduka Zuraina Majid on the action that had been taken by the state authorities.

The Federal Government had on Sept 2, last year approved a new guideline for the swiftlet breeding industry (1GP) where such activities were not allowed to be carried out at both the heritage enclaves. Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) presi- dent Khoo Salma Nasution said there was a need to have a new inventory of the number of operators conducting these businesses both in the core and buffer zones. She said PHT was willing to work with MPPP to map out all the swiftlet houses. “I hope the whole operation will be done in consultation with all parties including the NGOs, the owners of the shophouses, and the operators. “We also need to know what happens once the operators move out of the renovated buildings that require rehabilitation,” she added.