The food in the Philippines can be an almost traumatizing experience for Westerners. The word balut in Tagalog means “wrapped” and refers to a boiled hen or duck egg.
The balut is a typical Filipino street food, common also in Laos or Vietnam, sold for 50 cents and consisting of a boiled egg with inside a… embryo!
Among the typical dishes of the culinary tradition of the Philippines, there is one particularly delicious and popular: the Balut. It is a 21-day duck egg not yet hatched, which is cooked with the chick embryo within almost completely formed.
In fact, the duck eggs hatch after about 22 days, releasing a little duckling. However, one day before the expected hatching, some eggs are cooked and sold like Balut.
To eat Balut, you have to break the cooked egg, revealing the dead duckling inside. You eat everything of the chick: beak, legs, and feathers included.
For a foreigner, both the sight and the taste, in general, are too strong, while the Filipinos consider it a delicacy and really appreciate it, specially seasoned with soy vinegar or simply salting.
Hard to understand why many Asians love Balut egg, however, it has the same taste of a boiled egg with a unique texture and a delicious flavor. They say it’s funny to crackle the spout small duck between the teeth.
Did you try it? How does it taste for you? Are you curious about testing it or are you disgusted? As always I wait for your comment below!
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