About Bird Nest - Bird Nest's History

The first person to taste Bird Nest

PictureIt has been said in the “Bai Shi Tong” that there was a person in Java , Indonesia by the name of Sato Nurod who saw Bird Nests flying to limestone caves on mountains near the sea. His curiosity got the better of him and he decided to venture into the limestone caves. There were many beautiful Bird Nests inside and he removed a few and took them home. At first, he thought it was jus fun but he decided to test for its taste. He cooked a few pieces of the Bird Nest and found them to be tasty. News spread and the local people went to collect Bird Nest from the limestone caves. After long periods of consumption, everyone felt healthy and energetic and that was when they realized Bird Nest is a treasure. From then on, the tradition of Bird Nest as a nutritional product was popularized. This may be just a legend and since it was ages ago, there was no way to prove its authenticity. The earliest tax on Bird Nest was recorded during the Ming Dynasty in 1589 where “superior grade Bird Nest was taxed 1 tael of silver for every 100 katis, medium grade at 0.7 tael of silver and low grade at 0.2 tael of silver.” It can thus be seen that trading in Bird Nest was very mature at that time.

About Bird Nest - Bird Nest's History

Historical records showed that when Admiral Zheng He sailed south (1405-1433 AD), at a time when barter trade was carried out between Chinese fleets and South East Asian countries, ceramics from the Tang Dynasty were traded for Bird Nest from the people of Borneo (consisting of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia). These were brought as tributes to the emperor and since then, Bird Nest was regarded as a precious nutritional supplement.
Zheng He visited the coastal regions of Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand which are chief production places of Bird Nest. It has been recorded that some 125,000 pounds of Bird Nest consisting of some 4 million pieces were exported from Batavia , Java (now known as Jakarta ) to China after the 17 th century. This coincided with the seven voyages down south of Zheng He.
The following is a legend on how Zheng He discovered Bird Nest: There was once Zheng He's fleet was caught in a thunderstorm on one of his trips down south. He floated to a deserted island in the Malay Archipelago . When there was a shortage of food, some of the sailors accidentally discovered there were Bird Nests on the cliffs. Zheng He ordered his subordinates to take the Bird Nests, cleanse them and stew as food. Several days later, everyone of his crew looked healthy and was full of energy. Upon returning home, Zheng He presented the Bird Nest to the Emperor. From then on, Bird Nest became an item used as tribute to the Emperor and court officials. The practice of using Bird Nest for beauty purposes also became popular in the royal courts.

The earliest Chinese to discover Bird Nest:

The “Sarawak Records”: When Ye Zhen Hua and Wang San Shu of Kuching reached Miri in Sarawak , they discovered a Bird Nest cave. At that time, whoever discovers any Bird Nest cave can have it as his personal property.

The earliest medical records on Bird Nest:

“Ben Jing Feng Yuan”: Written by Zhang Lu Cheng in 1659. It has been recorded that “Bird Nest is sweet and mild. It promotes the constructive combination between metal and water, the lungs nourishes the kidneys, while it also calms down the stomach, making it an excellent food.”

The earliest record on Bird Nest in medical books:

“Medical Dictionary of China” was published by Xie Guan in 1921. It has been recorded that Bird Nest is used for revitalizing qi, balancing qi, nourishing the lungs, improving appetite, dissolving phlegm, stopping cough, increasing sperm, nourishing bone marrow and as an aphrodisiac.”

The earliest poetry on Bird Nest:

“Wu Mei Cun Poetry Collection”: End of the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Wu Wei Ye (1609-1671) wrote: The Bird Nests are homeless, they fight for tiny white fishes. They provide food for humans, but they can never settle down. The taste is delicious but their nests are soon empty. Officials look for things afar and they present their books early.”

The classic literature which described Bird Nest most:

“Dream of the Red Chamber”: In the diet of Da Guan Yuan in the Dream of the Red Chamber, the word “Bird Nest” appeared 17 times. There is a passage which sounded, “Dai Yu is weak and replenishment of superior nutrients is not recommended. The most suitable nutritional replenishment recommended was Bird Nest. For Qin Ke Qing who suffers from both weakness of the blood and qi and Jia Bao Yu who is mentally down and weak, Bird Nest is the perfect medicine for them. In Chapter 45 of the Dream of the Red Chamber, Bao Chai said, “I saw your prescription yesterday and found that there is too much of Ginseng and Cinnamon. Although these herbs replenish both qi and mental energy, they are too heaty. I would suggest that the liver be calmed down and nourishment be given to the stomach first. When the heat in the liver is gone, the gas in the stomach will also disappear. Health can be maintained by just taking in food. Take one tael of Bird Nest upon waking up each morning, added with half a tael of rock sugar and boiled into porridge. Taking it on a regular basis, it possesses strong effects and is best for replenishing qi.” This clearly showed that Bird Nest has been utilized in Chinese food since a long time ago. It also showed that Bird Nest possess the ability to calm down the liver and nourish the stomach while replenishing qi.

The earliest magazine with knowledge of Bird Nest:

The “Oriental Magazine”: Page 15 of the 8 th edition published in 1918 (Talk on Bird Nest)

Words from the earliest Bird Nest trader:

“Dong Xi Yang Kao Monthly”: 1833

The largest import location of Bird Nest in the world:

TRAFFIC Report: Hong Kong . 1986 – 145.5 tonnes, 1988 – 148.4 tonnes, 1989 – 138.4 tonnes, 1990 – 137.6 tonnes, 1991 – 124.1 tonnes.

The longest living man who took Bird Nest:

“San Lian Sheng Huo Zhou Kan ”: Madam Song Mei Ling, aged 106 years. “She took a small bowl of Bird Nest with rock sugar everyday.”

The youngest person consuming Bird Nest:

“Lian He Zao Bao”: Babies above 4 months may take Bird Nest. “Many pregnant women in Singapore take it, and many fetus have been “enjoying” the nutrition from Bird Nest for many months in their mother's womb.”

The group which are most familiar with taking Bird Nest as a supplement:

Hong Kong movie stars and singers performing take Bird Nest as their only food before concerts.

The largest flock of Collocalia ciphaga Bird Nests:

Britannica encyclopedia: 1 million Bird Nests.

The earliest swift house:

National Geographic of China : Built in 1880 in the final year of the 54 th East India Resident, J. W. van Lansberge, coinciding with the 10 th year of Xian Feng during the Qing Dynasty.

How to Tune Your Baitcaster to Prevent Bird Nest

A baitcasting reel is a fantastic addition to your fishing kit, especially for some larger lure types. However, many fishermen are hesitant to utilize a baitcasting reel due to their penchant for forming “Bird Nests” or backlash. This common problem can be easily overcome with a little instruction and some time practicing.

A baitcaster is used for precision control, so understanding these setting adjustments is key to proper use of the reel overall. Baitcasters are also generally better with larger diameter lines.

How a Baitcaster Reel Works and How a Bird Nest Forms

A baitcaster uses a revolving spool to adjust the length of the line. When you cast a line, the spool revolves forward allowing the line to extend outward. How fast you cast the line, and the lure, will determine the speed of the spool spin.
If the spool continues to spin once the line hits the water, there will be too much excess line without tension; this often causes a terrible knot called a “Bird Nest” or backlash commonly.

The Benefits of a Baitcaster

Control and Accuracy:
The way a baitcaster works allows the fisherman to have greater control over the speed and eventual landing place of the lure. The added brake mechanisms also assist in this added level of control.
Cranking Power:
A baitcaster's gears essentially work like a winch. The torque generated to spin the spool is exponentially increased, giving the fisherman greater reeling power.
No Line Twist:
Unlike a spinning reel, a baitcaster will not twist the line.

An Overview on Reel Adjustments

Backlashes are merely a side effect of being new to a reel. Have patience and give yourself time to practice. With proper control and subtle adjustments, you can tune your baitcaster to avoid Bird Nests.
The cast control mechanism, the spool tension knob, and the reel brake system can all be fine-tuned. The brake system allows you to adjust the speed of the spool rotation, giving you a considerable amount of control of line tension.
The Drag Control
Used to tighten or loosen the drag.
The Tension Knob
Allows the Spool to spin tighter or freer. Tighten to where you have no back and forth motion.
Brake Controls
There are multiple forms of brake controls, but they all control the reel rotation speed during your cast.

How to Make a Cast Without a Backlash

You will have to tune your reel settings to each lure you are using, as the different weights will require their own unique settings.
You will start with the brake system and the tension knob. Adjusting these pieces controls the velocity of the lure. Ideally, you should be able to free spool your reel, and the lure should fall to the ground without backlash. If you can accomplish that, then you should not get any backlash when you cast. Make adjustments until you reach the desired speed.
You can now test some casts. Do a simple overhead cast and feel out the distance, adjust the brake accordingly. Eventually, you can begin to loosen the brake a bit and control the full stopping spool with your thumb. Start practicing with a heavier fishing lure for a bit of an easier time.
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