Bird's nest is a food with very high nutritional value. However, the nutritional value of this food is also distinguished by the colour of the nest. Pink Nest and red bird's nest are extremely rare and nutrient-rich types of bird's nest.
2 ways to tell Pink Nest from red bird's nest
Outward features of Pink Nest and red bird's nest
To tell these two types of nest apart, we can go by their colour. Pink Nest is usually light orange-yellow or brown. Red bird's nest is usually a deeper dark red. Red bird's nest is rated very highly for nutritional value. And it also usually has the highest price among types of bird's nest.
Many people believe that red nest and Pink Nest come about because the parent swiftlets do not have enough saliva and use their own blood to build the nest. That is why the nest is blood-red. Other theories hold that the red colour of the nest comes from the food the parent swiftlets usually eat. However, according to scientific conclusions, the red colour of the nest is due to the terrain where the swiftlets build their nest. Normally a swiftlet nest takes 2-3 months to complete. So the nest is affected by environmental factors such as sun and rain. In particular, rainwater seeping from the cave walls into the nest can also carry the reddish-brown colour of the soil and rock.
Nutritional value of Pink Nest and red bird's nest
When talking about the difference between Pink Nest and red bird's nest, nutritional value cannot be overlooked. Red bird's nest has a higher nutritional value than Pink Nest
The nutritional value of bird's nest in general is very high. Bird's nest contains many precious nutrients. These are substances the human body needs but cannot synthesise itself, nutrition in bird's nest that other foods cannot provide. That is also why bird's nest has become a delicacy in many other countries such as Vietnam, Japan, North Korea, South Korea…
The nutritional value of ordinary bird's nest is very high. But the nutritional value of the nutrients in Pink Nest and red bird's nest is much higher still. Many scientific studies have shown and announced that red bird's nest has a higher nutritional value than Pink Nest. Red bird's nest contains more trace minerals and amino acids than Pink Nest.
Differences in economic value between Pink Nest and red bird's nest
Both types of nest are priced higher than white nest. This is because, of the total bird's nest harvested each year, only about 10% is red bird's nest and Pink Nest.
In terms of nutritional value, red bird's nest is richer in nutrients than Pink Nest; in terms of rarity, red bird's nest is also rarer and harder to harvest than Pink Nest. Therefore, the economic value of red bird's nest is also higher than Pink Nest.
In addition, red bird's nest comes in two types: island red nest and house red nest. Of these, island red nest also has higher nutritional and economic value than house red nest.
Red bird's nest and Pink Nest are often chosen as gifts on special, important occasions.