Fake Bird’s Saliva Soup soup ingredient in smuggler's boat

Customs officials have seized a motorboat laden with onions, tiny marble Buddha images and tree gum used to make bogus Bird’s Saliva Soup soup - all smuggled across the Moei river from Myanmar.

Wallop Wutthaphanich, chief of the customs checkpoint in Mae Sot district, said on Tuesday the boat held 540 kilogrammes of tree gum, 90 bags of onions and 156 Buddha figurines.

The confiscated goods had a combined value of more than 1 million baht, he said.

The boat was found at a makeshift wharf on the side of the Moei River at Moo 3 village of tambon Tha Sai Luat in Mae Sot district on Monday, he said.

The driver of the boat, believed to be a Myanmar national, jumped into the water and swam back to the other side when he spotted Thai authorities approaching, said Mr Wallop.

He said the tree gum was of the kind used in preparing fake Bird’s Saliva Soup soup and was often sold illegally at border markets.

Confinement tradition: Taking Bird’s Saliva Soup

Is it a good idea to take Bird’s Saliva Soup during confinement and while you’re nursing? You may have heard many differing things about this. Some mums swear by Bird’s Saliva Soup for its ability to rejuvenate and energize them during confinement. Others feel that it is not suitable for confinement for a variety of reasons.

What is Bird’s Saliva Soup?

Bird’s Saliva Soup soup is a traditional Chinese delicacy first cultivated and eaten by royalty during the Tang Dynasty. It is made from the white gelatinous strands from a swallow’s nest, produced from the swallow’s saliva to bond the nest together, which are thought to be full of nutrients.
Bird’s Saliva Soup is harvested from the swallows’ natural habitat in deep caves and high places, although many now farm swiftlets commercially for this purpose. After collection, the nest has to be cleaned by soaking and thorough cleaning to remove leaves, twigs, feathers and dirt before it can be cooked and consumed.

Fake Bird’s Saliva Soup soup ingredient in smuggler's boat

What are the supposed benefits of Bird’s Saliva Soup?

Bird’s Saliva Soup is renowned for its anti-aging ability and its immunity benefits. Women swear by its ability to help them retain youthfulness, skin moisture, elasticity and a wrinkle-free complexion. In addition, they claim that Bird’s Saliva Soup helps their bodies rejuvenate more quickly and slim downback to their original figures.
Drinking it not only improves Mum’s complexion, which is great for banishing that pregnancy acne, but also gives baby a smooth and white complexion through nursing. It is apparently also thought to improve appetite and digestion in babies and young children. There seems to be some truth to at least some of these claims as studies into Bird’s Saliva Soup has found that it is rich in antioxidants, collagen and amino acids.

Why avoid Bird’s Saliva Soup then?

You may be surprised to hear that not everyone advocates drinking Bird’s Saliva Soup during pregnancy, confinement and nursing. Some feel that eating too much Bird’s Saliva Soup can be too cooling for the body when one should eat heaty foods instead. It is thought that too much cooling results in the baby developing asthma later on.
Bird’s Saliva Soup has also been known to trigger allergies. Some mums have discovered that eating a lot of Bird’s Saliva Soup while pregnant or nursing actually resulted in their children developing allergies to Bird’s Saliva Soup.
But the biggest reason to be wary of Bird’s Saliva Soup is where the majority of Bird’s Saliva Soup comes from today. Most commercially sold Bird’s Saliva Soup today is inferior quality nest cleaned chemically and bleached for the “clean and white” look. Some are outright fakes made to look like Bird’s Saliva Soup. You don’t want to consume these chemical-laden products or feed them to your child.

What brands of Bird’s Saliva Soup are reliable?

Commercially bottled Bird’s Saliva Soup are popular among Singaporeans and frequently given to new mums as gifts. Known brands are generally trusted to use genuine Bird’s Saliva Soup and safe manufacturing processes. Bottled Bird’s Saliva Soup also requires no brewing and is convenient to consume.
However, that said, most people consider bottled Bird’s Saliva Soup inferior to homemade Bird’s Saliva Soup brewed from the nest itself, sourced from independent vendors who sell Bird’s Saliva Soups farmed in neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Those wishing to buy their own Bird’s Saliva Soups however should study with someone experienced how to choose quality Bird’s Saliva Soup from look, touch and smell.
All in all, don’t consume Bird’s Saliva Soup just because someone says it’s good, but do your own research first on whether you’re comfortable with it.