| Authored by Rhodora G. Magan | Published on May 29, 2025 |
Edible bird’s nest (EBN) soup, locally known as balinsasayaw or nido soup, is a cherished delicacy in Palawan, Philippines, and renowned globally. Nest ecosystems, built from the hardened saliva of the swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) species living in karst cave systems, are some of the world’s most expensive culinary gems, with a staggering value of over $2500 per kilogram. Chinese nobility were the first to relish this lavish tonic in the 1500s, which was thought to nourish the body and spirit. EBN has long been termed “Caviar of the East”. For centuries, it has been a symbol of wealth, power and prestige.
Its health benefits are becoming popular in the recent years. Apart from its anti-aging effects, EBN is purported to help with gastric disorders, asthma, cough, tuberculosis, kidney functions, immune and metabolism enhancement, and improved cognitive focus (Marcone, 2005). For this reason, EBN is now available as a supplement and as a ready-to-drink beverage. Habitat destruction along with overharvesting profoundly impacts El Nido’s swiftlet population. Their numbers are declining as a direct consequence of these two factors. In response to the swiftlet population decline, the local government is taking steps to combat the issue.
Such factors significantly impact their populations. In response, the local government has expressed concern and is considering measures to allay these threats.
The culturally resonant rhythms of this opulent ingredient can be foregrounded as a response that likely mitigates the depletion of swiftlets. Arup K. Chatterjee’s concept of gastromythology offers a compelling lens through which to examine the interplay between food, culture, and identity (2022). He draws upon Roland Barthes’ notion of mythologies to argue that food acts as a semiotic system, conveying cultural narratives and ideologies. In this sense, food serves as the historiographer that particularizes the narrative apropos of how Palawan indigenous tribes have long mastered the art of harvesting white nests. Essentially, the act of storytelling that centralizes nido soup in this context is dictated by how the food itself forms an integral part of the community’s ornithological epistemology, which is a fundamental aspect of what constitutes their ontological identity.
Genesis of Bird’s Nest Trade
The trade of edible bird’s nests (EBN) dates back to the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties (Chew, 2014). According to one legend, the discovery of EBN is attributed to the Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He, who, during his voyages, stumbled upon swiftlet nests in a cave and introduced them to Chinese cuisine. During the Song Dynasty (960–1279), indigenous groups in Palawan engaged in barter with Chinese merchants (Satizábal et al., 2021) and Tausug traders from the Sulu archipelago, a historical powerhouse in the bird’s nest trade. The Tausug people, under the Sultanate of Sulu, controlled vast maritime territories and engaged in trade with Chinese merchants (Magan, 2025) along the Eastern Sea Route—passing through Taiwan to Luzon, then to Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago, Borneo, and onward to the Moluccas. Trading breathed life into what might well have been the first interactions between Chinese and indigenous peoples in these regions.
Maritimity provided these peoples with a platform for cultural exchange. The status of EBN as an elixir, particularly among Chinese elites, signifies that its demand is driven not solely by its high price—often associated with prestige—but also by the narratives surrounding it, such as its reputed anti-aging properties. This concept of immortal beauty is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and was likely introduced to the harvesters, or busyadors, through interactions with Chinese traders. From a gastromythological perspective, the semiotic value of EBN encompasses an array of cultural meanings contributed by the seller, the buyer, and the esteemed tradition of bird’s nest trading itself.
In the 20th century, the bird’s nest trade continued to evolve, with modern regulations and market dynamics influencing both the livelihoods of the busyadors and the sustainability of the industry. This development builds upon the changes imposed by earlier eras on the business landscape, particularly during the Spanish and American colonial periods. Specifically, the Spanish granted exclusive rights to harvest nests to the highest bidder, often sidelining indigenous harvesters. During the American colonial period, further regulations were implemented, including licensing requirements and closed seasons for harvesting.
Gastromythology offers a postcolonial critique of culinary practices. It re-examines food narratives to uncover underlying power dynamics and historical injustices. The practice of consuming bird’s nest soup invites reflection on the boundaries between nature and culture, questioning what is deemed acceptable or luxurious in food practices. It challenges our understanding of food not just as sustenance, but as a medium for cultural expression and ethical considerations. Take, for example, the aforementioned Spanish imposition: could the highest bidder strike a balance between ecological preservation and profiteering? Within a negotiatory grammar, a homeostatic climate is engendered, informed by the intersectionality of the semiotic underpinnings of caverns, swiftlets, livelihoods, and peoples.
The Indigenous Ecology
Palawan stretches between Mindoro in the northeast and Borneo in the southwest, lying between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. Its involvement in the bird’s nest trade is relatively recent and deeply rooted in indigenous practices. The balinsasayaw holds significant cultural and spiritual importance, particularly among indigenous communities such as the Tagbanua (Tandulanen and Calamian) and Cuyonon (Satizábal et al., 2022). These birds are not merely viewed as natural resources but are intricately woven into the myths, rituals, and ecological practices of what is known as “The Philippines’ Last Frontier.”
The Tagbanwa (also spelled as Tagbanua) are believed to be descendants of the Tabon Man, with prevailing theories suggesting that the ancestors of the Tabon Man arrived in the Philippines via land bridges connecting the archipelago to mainland Southeast Asia during periods of lower sea levels in the Pleistocene era. These communities have preserved their cultural heritage through practices like animism and sustainable resource management, reflecting a continuity of traditions dating back thousands of years.
For the Tagbanua, the act of harvesting swiftlet nests is traditionally accompanied by rituals to honor the spirits of the coastal forests and caves. Cave ancestors Kukuk and their male partners, Bungäw, are considered anthropomorphic beings and owners of all creatures living in the cave (Novellino, 2001). Before entering the caves, busyadors perform ceremonies, including burning incense (parina) and offering food such as chicken or pork. These rituals are intended to seek permission for the harvest and ensure safety.
The swiftlet harvest is not only a livelihood but also a practice that reinforces social bonds. The traditional method known as nido harvesting is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in Asia, requiring busyadors to scale cliffs and caves to collect the nests (Satizábal et al., 2022). Families have traditionally cared for specific caves, passing down knowledge and responsibilities through generations. This practice underscores the importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer and the sustainable management of natural resources. To honor the balinsasayaw, communities in Palawan celebrate festivals that showcase local culture and traditions, such as the Balinsasayaw Festival in El Nido, which features street dancing, culinary competitions, and cultural performances.
To the indigenous communities, staking their lives by entering the intricate karst cave systems is a ‘permissible’ act sanctioned by the cave ancestors, as they ritualize the offering of food in exchange for safety while scaling the darkest and deepest interior spaces —a practice that parallels the articulation of an ethic of coexistence between humans and non-humans, facilitated by Bon Bibi, a forest deity from the Sundarbans. The seemingly regulated activity within indigenous cosmology is clearly part of a ceremonialized existence that does not negate the endemism of these swiftlets in this Philippine region, renowned for its unique islandic identity. With Palawan recently earning yet another accolade as the “world’s best island to visit for 2025” (Acebuche, 2025:online), its pristine beaches and cave systems—home to the renowned underground riverine networks—are not the only attractions to consider in viewing the province as a holistic tourist hub. Equally vital is its characterologically nido-esque bearing, which could be dramatically altered if the excessive demand for EBN is not tempered by the value systems of its inhabitants, who remain intrinsically connected to the non-human entities that define their aquapelagic existence.
References
Acebuche, Y. (2025, April 27). Palawan named world’s best island to visit for 2025. PhilSTAR Life. https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/677858-palawan-named-world-best-island-visit-2025?page=2
Chatterjee, A. K. (2022). The Gastromythology of English Tea Culture: On the UKTC’s Advertisements and Making Tea a “Fact” of English Life. Canadian Journal of History, 57(1), 47-80.
Chew, D. (2014, February 10). The edible birds’ nest commodity chain between Sarawak and East Asia. Biomass Society. https://www-archive.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/biomasssociety.org/en/2014/02/the-edible-birds-nest-commodity-chain-between-sarawak-and-east-asia%E3%80%80daniel-chew/
Magan, R. G. (2025). Perception and Visibility of the State: The Ramayan of the Maranao: Rethinking Aquapelagos in the Philippines’ Sulu Sea.Shima, (Advanced Publication), 1–24.10.21463/shima.247
Marcone, M. F. (2005). Characterization of the edible bird’s nest the “Caviar of the East.” Food Research International, 38(10), 1125–1134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2005.02.008
Novellino, D. (2001). Pälawan Attitudes Towards Illness. Philippine Studies, 49(1), 78–93. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42634436
Satizábal, P., Dressler, W. H., Guieb, E. R., Varquez, J. G., & Fabinyi, M. (2021). Seascape shadows: Life in the ruins of the edible bird’s nest harvest in northern Palawan, the Philippines. Environment and Planning E, 5(4), 1966-1993. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486211058585 (Original work published 2022)
GASTROMYTHOLOGY 