Disgustingly tasty Balut

Yesterday, I was in a hurry to go to work so with an empty stomach I stopped by a balut peddler for a 16 day old gestation duck egg.

Everywhere in the Philippines you will find a "mangbabalut"or a balut vendor. He/ she would be at the roadside with "pinakurat"(spiced vinegar) and balut to hawk a warmly contained in a basket either of styrofoam or rattan like in this picture below

As you can see it's hard to carry a warmer as balut taste best hot and expensive to so the creative Pinoys had developed a system to maintain it by keeping them insulated in between layers of pieces of clothes like below

As you noticed from the picture above there is a mark on each egg. That's where you crack it to sip all those juices. Once devoid of water that's the time you take your bite.

Mind you the idea of seeing those duck fetus with beak or feather or head is so grotesque that locals would often equate it to a test of courage. As you guess not every Pinoy has this taste preferences

How does it taste? Like a normal duck for me.Its growing popularity among foreigners had paved it's way to be exported also admittedly I love my balut with a cold beer and I have yet to try using balut as a viand. Some chefs had made recipes with balut too as an ingredient. I have yet to try adobong balut (marinated in soysauce vinegar then slow boiled), sisig balut (stir fried with hot chili,onions pepper etc) or buttered balut( cooked like fried chicken)

At 25 pesos a piece this balut is a cheap way to have your protein but I need to warn you though that for reasons that some vendor reheat unsold balot you might also be exposed to salmonella poisoning so in this light be very picky where you buy it from

I am not sure if this food is unique to our country or not. But here is what I know it is a good way to extend the market for eggs .With its demand we also provide jobs to duck raisers
and balut sellers as well .So go ahead share this food experience and support our local industry after all good business makes a great nation don't you think so?