Our lesson for today is about one of the Philippines’ most popular street delicacy, the balut.

We have cable TV at home and whenever I feel bored, I'd tune in to Fear Factor. One night, the contestants were tasked to do one eating stunt, to eat balut eggs within 3 minutes. The moment Mr. Fear Factor removed the lid that covered the eggs, their jaws dropped in horror. I just laughed. Yes, balut looks gross but it isn’t bad at all.

Balut is basically a half-boiled, ready to hatch duck egg that’s between 17 to 19 days old. Some even refer to it as duck embryo or an undeveloped duck fetus. But no matter how you call it, it is a delicacy not intended for those who have a weak stomach. In the Philippines, balut is a sign of machismo. Only the brave dare to eat this weird looking and tasting delight. But never underestimate its power. Balut is high in protein and is a good source of energy. It is also said to be an excellent aphrodisiac. Balut is often served with beer. And for added flavor, it can be eaten with salt and other condiments like spicy vinegar. In my country, it is considered as a snack rather than a formal food.

There are two types of balut. The first one is called mamatong. Mamatong balut has the embryo floating on top of the white yolk. It usually appears between 14 to 16 days. The second type of balut is called “balut sa puti.” This type of balut is considered as the cream of the crop and it is usually incubated between 16 to 17 days. Penoy, on the other hand, is a relative of balut and they are duck eggs that are not properly developed after 9 to 12 days.


The Philippines don’t own the monopoly of producing balut. This foodtuff can also be found in Cambodia and Vietnam. In my country, the Municipality of Pateros is the capital of the balut-making industry. The name itself could vouch for that. Pateros came from the Tagalog word “pato” which means “duck” that lays the eggs for balut-making. Several roving vendors sell balut at night so it won’t be a problem should you feel the appetite to try it. And because of the industry’s extreme popularity, it has become a major tourist attraction for the municipality.

How to eat balut

When I was younger, I heard stories about the legend of balut eating. Some say that there was once a greedy owner of a duck farm. One night, he caught a man stealing one of his eggs. In his anger, he punished the man by forcing him to eat some of the eggs, which were not hatched in exchange for his freedom. The poor man had no other recourse but to eat the eggs eventhough they didn't look and smell that good. He closed his eyes and started to chew it. In his surprise, it didn't taste that bad at all! Alas, balut eating was born! Though it seems more like an urban legend, whoever discovered balut eating must have surely realized that it is more than what meets the eye!

Steps in eating balut

• The first step is to poke through the shell of the balut to sip its broth. The broth is simply the soup that surrounds the embryo. It usually tastes sweet and at the same time, salty.


• Not every egg has broth. Only those that are marked with an “x” have.


• After sipping the broth, the next step is to peel off the shell until the egg and all its part are exposed.


• Then, finally, munch the “embryo.” Feel the texture in your mouth!


• If it’s your first time to eat balut, it would help to cover your eyes


• If you want, you can also eat the hardened egg yolk. My father calls it “bato” or stone because it is really “hard”

That’s basically how you eat balut. It’s definitely not a must to eat it, however, if you’re visiting your special someone here and gets invited by her male relatives and peers, you might be obliged or challenged to eat it. If that’s the case, it would be embarassing not to try. Not that Pinoys are sadistic, but it’s a challenge for you to prove how much you are willing to embrace our culture. But you don’t have to feel bad at all. I say it shouldn’t be your ultimate fear factor simply because it actually tastes good.

That’s all for today. I’ll be writing a follow-up to this post and provide you with an actual footage of my brother eating balut.

See you next time.

Credits:
Wikipedia
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Pateros Site

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