Meng  Zhang

Meng Zhang

Loyola Marymount University

Economic & Environmental History of China

mzhang@ias.edu

Research Statement: At IAS, I am researching a new project on the making, circulation, and consumption of edible birds’ nests, which are made from the hardened saliva of cave-nesting swiftlets and exalted for their purported health benefits in traditional Chinese medicine. From the early modern period to this day, the demand for this luxurious delicacy by the Chinese elites spurred the Sino-Southeast Asia trade networks and brought transformations to the life and environment of the islanders and the swiftlets.

While at IAS:
TBD

Second Term