The most expensive delicacy on the planet.
Edible bird's nests are made from the saliva of swiftlets. These nests are considered a delicacy and have been consumed for thousands of years. They're sometimes referred to as the “caviar of the East.”
In some regions, swiftlets couldn't compete with the rate of harvest, and so their populations plummeted. Between 1957 and 1997, the number of swiftlets declined by as much as 88% in parts of Southeast Asia, largely due to overharvesting. And as a result, the price of bird's nests skyrocketed.
