STANDARD ITUNG-ITUNGAN WALET

Harga sarang burung sangat tergantung oleh naik turunnya nilai rupiah terhadap dollar, sedangkan untuk pasaran dunia harga sarang yang langsung dari dari gua berharga berkisar antara US $ 1.000-1.500 / kg dan sarang dari rumah walet berkisar antara US $ 1.800-2.000/kg sedangkan apabila sudah melalui proses pembersihan akan menjadi US $ 2.000-2.500 / kg. “ A kilogram of white nest can cost up to $2,000, and a kilogram of “red blood” nest can cost up to $10,000 Canadian”. (Koon dan Cranbrook, 2002).

Negara China (Hong Kong) mengkonsumsi sarang walet 100 ton per tahun yang mendekati 60% suplai dunia. Komunitas Tionghoa di Amerika Utara mengkonsumsi 30 ton pertahun sedangkan cina daratan hanya 10 ton pertahun. Harga satu mangkok sup sarang burung dihargai US$ 60 (Quentien, 2004)

Harga sarang walet sangat bervariasi tergantung dari kesepakatan antara penjual dan pembeli. Kriteria umum yang mempengaruhi harga sarang adalah : asal sarang (gua atau rumah), ukuran sarang, warna sarang, sempurna tidaknya bentuk sarang, kandungan air, kandungan bulu yang menempel. Harga sarang sangat ditentukan oleh kualitas sarang, baik warna, bentuk, ukuran, bulu dan kadar air. Dan memperhitungkan faktor hubungan keterdekatan dan kepercayaan antara penjual dan pembeli. Karena harga sarang walet sangat tergantung pada kualitas, sedangkan belum adanya standar yang baku mengenai kualitas sarang maka harga sarang ditentukan oleh kesepakatan antara pembeli dan penjual sarang saat terjadi transaksi. Dalam satu kali pemanenan tidak ada sarang yang sama, yang disebabkan perbedaan umur burung walet, kebersihan tempat bersarang, kondisi ruangan, gangguan hama, cara memanen dan musim, sehingga penentuan harga berbeda-beda antara pembeli satu dengan pembeli lainnya (Kuntjoro, 2002)

Selain ditentukan oleh kualitas sarang, harga sarang walet tergantung dari kondisi mata uang rupiah terhadap dollar. Dari hasil wawancara harga sarang super dengan kriteria warna putih keperakan (kristal), bentuk mangkuk, dengan ukuran tiga jari (lebar bibir sampai dasar sarang 4,5-5 Cm), serta kandungan bulu bulu ringan (ada 1-5 helai bulu), dan kadar air kering (kandungan air 0-10%) dapat berharga $ 1.800-2.000/Kg.

Semakin rendah nilai rupiah terhadap dollar maka harga sarang akan meningkat, seperti terjadi pada tahun 1998 saat US $1 = Rp. 17.500,- harga sarang melambung sangat tinggi. Setelah melalui proses pencucian, harga sarang walet dapat mencapai US$ 2.500-3.000/Kg. Tetapi para pengusaha pencucian tidak bersedia membeli sarang yang sudah dicuci, mereka lebih mengutamakan pembelian dalam bentuk yang masih belum diproses. Dengan alasan pasaran luar negeri sudah menentukan ciri-ciri yang sudah disepakati antara pengusaha pencucian dengan pasar luar negeri.

CHOOSING THE GOOD SWALLOW NEST

• Shape and volume: the best bird's nests is in the shape of a boat or spoon. Bird's nest can be triangular in shape if they have been built in the corner of two adjacent walls. However for nutritional value the shape does not matter. Bird's nests that are broader in width rank higher. The real bird's nest should be in a natural shape.
• Color and Purity: The best bird's nest should be of natural colour, containing no mud and other impurities like moss. The colour of the white nest is an actual ivory. The yellow nest and the bloodyred nest are coloured straw and red, respectively. The variations and intensity in the colour are due to the difference in the mineral constituents of the food the swallow ate. The bird's nests, regardless of their colour, swell when soaked in clear water. The colouration in the bird's nest will fade and the nest threads look transparent after swelling. However, the water used for soaking should still remain transparent and colourless.
• Density and Swelling Capacity: Bird's nests that have finer and denser nest threads appear almost gapless. They are bigger and thicker in volume and should have a higher swelling capacity. The swelling capacity refers to the water holding ability of a bird's nest. The higher the swelling capacity, the greater the bird's nest distends after immersion in water. Bird's nests of different categories show different magnitudes of swelling capacity, i. e. the ratio between the weight of the bird's nest before and after swelling can be different. The swelling capacity should be measured by weight instead of by volume.
• Flavor and Dryness: Bird's nest should be selected by smell. A real bird's nest retains a little bit of a fishy smell of the swallow's saliva. When cooked, it releases a light aroma resembling the aroma of an egg white. It is essential to select a dry bird's nest. A bird's nest that is sticky and soft is certainly not dry enough. A wet bird's nest weighs heavier thus the price will be overcharged from the extra weight. A wet bird's nest would not be convenient for storage as it would attract mould easily and has a low swelling capacity.
• Price and Creditability: Bird's nests should be purchased in person and selected by "looking", "smelling" and "touching". The price of the bird's nest should be weighed against the flavor, size, thickness of the nest, fineness of the threads, dryness, and a good swelling capacity. It is not possible to buy a good quality bird's nest at fair price if the goods have not been examined and the quality and category evaluated. The most trustful way to purchase a high quality bird's nest is to buy from shops having a good reputation and guaranteed quality.