Now everyone enjoy bird's nest drink at an affordable cost.

Once considered an expensive delicacy, affordable only by the rich and famous, it is now available at a very reasonable price in Sabah. If you stroll along in Gaya Street on Sundays, you can spot a man selling this product in small plastic containers near the Pizza Hut, in the ever crowded tamu. Danny Fang, a small size elderly man in his early fifties, can be seen busy selling the bird’s nest drink with his son. Passerby people stop at his stall stacked with bird’s nest drinks. They curiously watch the videos on bird’s nest from a video deck.  Displayed on a small table are samples of bird’s nest.  He explains his product to the interested and curious customers. Most of them try his drink priced at RM15 each. Some buy in bulk on the spot, knowing that this drink is not available anywhere in SABAH. 

Mr.Danny with the foreign tourist. 

Danny Fang chose to sell the bird’s nest as a drink as he noticed that this type of drink was not sold anywhere in Sabah.“Perhaps I am the first to start this here and proud that I am selling a 100 percent product of Sabah,” he said. Many locals, including top political leaders had tasted this drink and are very supportive as this is a local product. Some of them have become his regular customers. Danny Fang owns a Swiftlet  house in a strategic spot in Sandakan. “That’s where I collect the bird’s nest to produce the drink. Almost all bird’s nest farmers choose to sell their products to exporters.  But I chose to sell it as a drink so that everyone can try and benefit,” he continued. He claimed it is good for our health, helps to clear throat and chest problems such as asthma, cough, sore throat and phlegm. “Most importantly, it is good for your complexion as it rejuvenates new skin. One can notice the changes in two months after drinking bird’s nest. Look at my face if you don’t believe,” he challenged. Sure, his glittering face is a good testimony.  For his age, the skin looks very smooth   and shiny. “Pregnant women buy my drinks to have wonderful babies,” he told with big smile. Business is good at Gaya Street; locals have got a taste of the drink.  The drink contains dissolved bird’s nest and rock sugar and tastes sweet like a lychee. “The price is very reasonable considering the high price of bird’s nest anywhere in the world. A bowl of bird’s nest soup will cost you US 30 – 50 (RM 96 -150) anywhere in the world. So the price of RM15 per 200gm drink is very cheap,” he said. 

Bird’s nest is an edible natural product made by swiftlets (Aerodramus Fuciphagus) in natural limestone caves or manmade bird’s houses. These bird’s use their gelatinous like saliva to make these nests to lay eggs. In fact, bird nest's true benefits lies not only its flavor. For thousands of years the Chinese believed that these nests are healthy for the body, for cough, asthma, skin and phlegm. Likewise, those singer would regularly eat bird's nest which not only was for having the beautiful skin, but they also enhancing their throats, because the nutrient-rich nest can also help moisturize the throat linings!  

Bird's nest has become more readily available and affordable, hence allowing a lot more people to be able to enjoy bird nest drinks!