Having a great taste and a temperate property, salangane nests have been considered as a wonderful gift of nature has become a valuable food in Vietnam as well as the world. They are high in nutrition and very healthy for quick heartbeat, asthenia, anorexia, poor blood pressure, fatigue, insomnia, illness and yellow skin. They help increase immunity and disease resistance. Vietnam is one of few countries in the world that has an industry of farming and processing salagane nests. Khanh Hoa Province has the largest number of islands which are home to the salanganes and its products have been rated as having the best quality.
According to history books, raising salanganes in Khanh Hoa dates back to 700 years ago. Le Van Dat – a commander of the provincial army in the Tran Dynasty has been known as the ancesstor of raising salanganes in Khanh Hoa Province. Legend has it that in 1328, during a mission to the south, Le Van Dat discovered many islands inhabited by the salanganes in the sea area (now Khanh Hoa province). Since then the business of producing salangane nests has developed. Every year, on the 10th of May in the lunar calendar, Khanh Hoa people organize a salagane nest festival to commemorate those who are credited with establishing the salangane nest production business.
Ngoai Island has the largest number of salangane caves, making up two-thirds of the nests produced by the province. The caves must be carefully protected because the sea here is very rough. Khanh Hoa Salangane Nests Company has made roofs for the caves, built dykes and installed surveillance cameras.
The birds usually make their nests on the high cliffs, so the workers must be skilled and brave mountain-climbers. To harvest their nests which is on hundreds of meters high mountainside they must erect bamboo scaffoldings on the steep cliffs or use ropes to secure themselves to the mountainside.
According to scientists at the Southern Institute of Science and Technology, compared to other countries having salangane nest production industries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a suitable sea climate and environment and a rich source of food for the salanganes which provide larger yield, whiter nests, and better quality.
Khanh Hoa Province not only has harvested salangane nests on the islands but also taken the lead in raising the salanganes in houses. According to the research results of the Institute of Biotechnology at the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, and the Biotechnology Center at the University of Fisheries, Khanh Hoa salangane nests are a pure natural food with abundant nutrients, including 18 essential amino acids.
