How To: Eat Balut | Duck Eggs

A lot of my foreign friends would always ask me if I had eaten a Balut (Ba-loot) or Duck egg? Of course my answer is yes.   A balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.  It is usually eaten with salt or vinegar.  It does look disgusting as you would really see the baby duck inside while you eat it, there are even occasions where its a bit developed and a bit hairy as the feathers are already developing.  It actually has three parts to it.  The Balut juice, its an acquired taste, but its quiet pleasant most specially when it is eaten hot.   The actual embryo ( that I don’t eat) and the yolk, which is pretty yummy. Balut is a delicacy famous in the Philippines and in neighboring Asian Countries.

Balut is eaten most of the time as a snack or something to go with a very cold beer.   There are many techniques to eating the balut. Some just gobble everything up, chew then swallow, which can be a good idea.  If you happen to find an egg with a very little embryo and bigger yolk part then you are lucky as I mentioned earlier it really does taste good.  In some fine dining restaurant, chefs have found a way to  cook it and serve as part of the menu, the best ones I have tasted are the ones cooked with olive oil and lots of garlic and served on a hot plate.

I found a funny video that gives us a step by step direction on how to eat it.  Now watch and learn, who knows, you might find the chance to eat one at least you would already be familiar as to how to make the experience more enjoyable.

Here is how to cook Adobong Balut. Click Here

Main Image source