Bird spit coffee? Asia firms seek global appetite for China delicacy

Caretaker Tan Jin Hong poses with a bird's nest and egg at the Swiftlet Eco Park in Perak, northern Malaysia, Feb 14. [Photo / Agencies]

China consumes almost 90 percent of all bird's nests, traditionally eaten in soup, creating an industry that last year recorded $5 billion in sales and which executives expect to double by 2020.

Companies such as Malaysia's Swiftlet Eco Park, one of the country's largest developers of swiftlet houses, want bigger gains by expanding their product line and market beyond China, where importers can often dictate the price.