My Move to the Philippines

Balut is the second most recognizable Philippine delicacy behind only Lumpia. I had my first experience with balut as a young sailor in the late 70’s who after a few San Miguels or a shared pitcher of mojo would take the challenge of eating one or two.

For the uninformed, balut is a two week old duck embryo, still in it’s shell, baked in high heat until the yolk is cooked. I’ve heard rumors about them being buried in the ground for a time but I’m not sure if that is true. Balut has been featured on the US TV show Fear Factor, the show where contestants eat things like maggots and bugs with the prize going to the person who eats the most. I wish I could have been on the show when the thing to eat was balut. I would have taken home the first prize except for the fact you aren’t allowed to drink beer on the show while eating. Balut is usually bought from a street vendor who goes from house to house calling out Balllllutttt! I’ve heard that balut is an aphrodisiac and that’s why they sell it at night before everyone goes to bed. But I’ve also been told that it is sold at night because when it’s dark you can’t see what it looks like. Check out this video on balut: