THE BALUT-IFUL EGG
Insert mandatory egg pun here. Credit: WonderHowTo
This strange delicacy originated from and is commonly sold as street food in the Philippines, but you can also find them in abundance in Vietnam and Cambodia (compared to the cuisine here though, balut eggs may seem pretty tame). In the Philippines, balut is typically eaten as pulutan, which translates to finger food or appetisers eaten with alcohol.
What is a balut egg you ask? Well, on the outside, it looks like any ordinary egg you can get from a supermarket. Things start to get a little stranger on the inside, where you'll find a fertilised baby duck embryo.
Yes, you read that right! The fertilised egg, which comes from a mallard duck, is incubated for two to three weeks before it’s boiled or steamed and ready to eat. The incubation period is a matter of local preference, and the longer you wait, the more developed the embryo will be.
If you want a beginner-friendly version of the balut egg, it may be best to stick to the Philippines as they incubate their eggs for 15-17 days. At that stage, the chick hasn’t developed its beak, claws or feathers just yet, which makes it a little more palatable… right?
Try having soldiers with that. Credit: NeoGAF
For the more daring foodies out there, Vietnam’s your stop. Here, it's called hot vitlon, and incubated for 19-21 days. By this time, the embryo is more than recognisable as a baby duck, with almost fully-developed bones that are firm but tender when cooked. So if you’re looking for that extra crunch, a hot vit lon is definitely for you!
Learning how to eat this culinary delight is a must to complete the whole experience. You may be tempted to use a fork, but the real experience lies when you use your bare hands. So, how does one eat a balut egg?
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Crack the top of the egg, being careful not to spill anything.
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Slurp the soup and add salt to taste if you fancy it.
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Pick the egg shells apart and season with salt or vinegar
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You can either go for the yolk first or save the white embryo for last - you decide!
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Enjoy! (optional.)
And on top of these steps, make sure not to stare!
What do you think? Will this delicacy make it onto your food bucket list? Let us know in the comments below!
