ULOG #010 : "Balut or Balot"

Everybody knows that to appreciate other people and places, one have to try local cuisines, dishes, delicacies and other food preparations in that particular province or country. This includes using local sediments, utensils, way of cooking and the like.

In some places, food that tastes so good for locals can be a bit "weird" in our mouth. There's nothing wrong there! At least we tasted it. Just be careful on our expressions as we don't want to be seen as rude.

Anyway, for us Filipinos, there are food in the Philippines that other nationalities might find disagreeable. In fact, even some Filipinos find it disgusting. I guess we all know what this is???

Balut or balot

A typical balut in Manila, without an embryo.

A chicken or duck egg of 16 to 21 days old, this is half-boiled then eaten as it is or more often, dipped with vinegar or sprinkled with salt. Known by Filipinos to be very nutritious, it is also being encouraged to be eaten after giving birth.

Growing up in Northern Philippines, this delicacy was not known in the province, only when I was in college here in Manila that it was introduced to me. It's as if hearing it night after night from vendors out in the streets wasn't enough. As a street food, it's only sold at night. Maybe for those who needs it's nutrients that it can provide. In nursing school, we go out and buy anytime at night.

I suggest not to eat the white part, as it's either gummy or hard like concrete. There's no point in eating it. Just for one's information, the liquid inside tastes good. If one care to try it.

What turns people off is the formed embryo seen as one removes the shell. Although some parts in Asia also have balut, elsewhere is a NO NO. Right @osm0sis?

What I can advise is to eat balut with your eyes closed. Think you can do that? I doubt it. But no worries, we Filipinos understand if you don't.

We have other delicacies to try!

The image is mine, taken with my Samsung Galaxy S7.

Reference:
balut philippine cultural staple