Food

Elaborate flavors are created by a broad range of ingredients in exotic ways around the world. Many things that my culture would never consider eating are thought of as food elsewhere. Lizards, insects, amphibians, and even waste products like nests and dung are used as staples or delicacies. In China they love their bird-nest soup and harvest it from limestone caves. The peasants who climb the walls must be oblivious to the dangers they face. The nests are made of spit, and whatever debris exists in the stomach of these creatures. One would think it would be a good way to catch SARS or bird-flu or something. Another danger could be the half naked peasant grappling the cave walls without a harness, oblivious that in the US, OSHA would be cracking down; also the FDA, because birds nests as food seems like a good target. The climber' foot slips on some slick guano, and the hand that grasped for the delicate nest involuntarily crushes it to powder. Tumbling midair, he hits the bottom, 40 feet down without a scream. Only his legs and some ribs are broken. He came alone today.