Bird spit coffee? Asian firms seek global appetite for China delicacy

Kuala Lumpur

PRIZED in China for its alleged health benefits for hundreds of years, nests made from swiftlets' saliva are being mixed into coffee and cereal as the South-east Asian producers of the delicacy seek to broaden its appeal, and their profit margins.

The nests are among the world's most expensive foods, selling for up to US$2,500 a kg and the swiftlets that weave them are indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. China consumes almost 90 per cent of all bird's nests, traditionally eaten in soup, creating an industry that last year recorded US$5 billion in sales and which executives expect to double by 2020.