Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-09-03
BIrds,-Nest soup.

Of the delicious birds'-nest soup
eaten in China, everybody has heard,
but everybody has not been privileg
ed to partake of that most delec-
table of all Oriental dainties. The
nests are formed of theisecretions of
a species of swallow, called by natu-
raIists HirkaIo escWleetG, because
their dwellings are d eaten. These
birds are common on most of the is
land of the Indian Arehipelagoes,
but their headquarters are Sumatra,
Java, and Borneo. They build their
nests over shelving rocks, in places
that would seem to be inaccessible to
man, -ir 7as-slaaG aH q fa
But such is the demand for this
dainty, and so high its market value,
that hundreds of men spend their
whole lives in the perilous work of
collecting the nests from deep cav
erns, by torchlight, and oVerhang-
ing rocks, frightful cliffs, and pre-
cipices, such as make the head grow
dizzy even to think of, and whence
the Slightest loss of footing must prove
fatal to the adventurer. Multitudes
of others are constantly employed in
separating with delicate tweezers the
feathers and other impurities from
the geIation portion of the nests, and
in washing and drying them in pre-
paration for the market.
The bird makes its first nest of a
gelatine produced from its own BODY,
without any foreign admixture; but
when deprived of this, being unable
to secrete sufficient quantity of the
| gluten for another, he mikes in the
second considerable portion Of
Esticks, feathers, and dried grass, thus
rendering the nest far less desirable
for edible purposes. ifa EaA
i Again, however, the rapaeioqs hun
ter, lying in wait for his prey, turns
out the homeless bird, and bears off
the prize; and when, for the third
time, the little architectErears his
home it is composed almost entirely
lof stubble, with the slightest posi-
bic admixture of gelatine.ly
This last nest being comparatively
worthless for food, the poor little
builder is ordinarily allowed to retain
possession, and rears its family with
out farther molestation. The nests
are about the size of small tea-cup,
and an eighth of an inch in thickness,
weiOhinO scarcely half an ounce
each. $500. ..-u
The first nests collected are of a
pure creamy whiteness, and bring
readily. twice their own, weight in.
silver dollars. These require little
cleansing, only to be dried and pack
ed; but the seond gathering must be
carefully picked over, and thoroughly
washed. The nests thus losing their
original lusciousness, their market
value is proportionately diminished,
and they sell for. about eighteen or
twenty dollars per pound, the poor
est as low as six or eight. Even the
third nests are occasionally taken,
but they bring mere trife, and are.
only used by those whose epicurean
tastes exceed the length of their
purses. '--N
Whole streets in Canton are occu-
pied by the preparers and venders Of
birds nests; and about million and
a-haif Of dollars are annually ex-
pended by the Chinese in the pur-
chase of this dainty, which, when
rendered into soup or Jelly, the
Celestial regards as the most delec-
table of food.
The nests are first soaked in water,
then boiled to jelly, and finally,
swimming in a rich gravy composed
of the expressed juice of the cocoa
nut, with various spices and condi-
ments, they are placed on the table,
a rich, pulpy mass, and truly deli
cious. st. Nicholas for Sept.