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Balut: An Unappetizing Delicacy from The Philippines

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Hema Idhayan (Metro Manila, Philippines)

The Philippines is a fast-rising Southeast Asian country with a vibrant, dynamic, and young population. Blessed with the dazzling and stunning formation of its natural beauty, the Philippine archipelago is spread out across more than 7,600 beautiful islands. Complementing well with its natural beauty, the country is also renowned for its warmth and hospitality of the people. Today, let us talk about food in the Philippines. Each dish in Filipino cuisine reflects its people, history, and culture of this region. 

Filipino food indeed is a melting pot of various ethnic influences. Not only it will excite your taste buds, but also will help you have a better understanding of the Filipino culture. Every region of this country has its own trademark dishes and delicacies. Some of them have similarities but the regions often come up with their own versions and twists!

The evolution of Filipino food can be traced back to the earliest of its inhabitants, where the food preparation was mostly by boiling, roasting and steaming. The cuisines from the Philippines is a distinctive mixture of delicacies from more than a hundred distinctive ethnolinguistic groups found all over the Philippine archipelago. Filipino food that evolved today has been shaped by history and society of many unique and affluent cultures.

Other Asian influences too crept in, mainly from the Chinese, Indonesians, Arabian, and Indians, who were major trade partners, they all made a huge impact in the start of the Philippines food evolution. Each ethnicity brought its own unique influence on Filipino cuisine, so did the Spanish.

The Hispanic relic in the Philippines was a long one and hence its influence too, a lot of the spices and sauces found their way into Philippines food. Natural preservers like vinegar was been introduced and became accepted into the Philippines cuisine. The final major influences were of the American and the Japanese. The Philippines being colonised by both countries at the beginning of the 20th Century, I guess their heavy influence was inevitable on its culture and food. 

Like any other Southeast Asian country, the staple food of the Philippines is Rice. Boiled rice plays a major role in most of the Filipino meals, any leftovers are normally fried with spices. Different types of sauces are added with either vegetables, beef, chicken, pork, or seafood. There are several rice-based desserts as well, which are uniquely Filipino. 

Let me introduce the most interesting and unique street food and a must delicacy to taste for any traveller in the country is “Balut”. Balut is something I cannot eat, no matter how hard I convince myself to, it is just not for me. In the Philippines, Balut is what hot dogs are to the Americans. A seemingly innocent looking delicacy, but that is as far as the analogy goes. Balut is a chicken or duck egg which is half boiled and then eaten directly from the shell. Balut gives new meaning to the phrase ‘looks can be deceiving”. Not many people appreciate eating a half-hatched duckling but consuming this is quite common in the Philippines. The dish is also regarded as an aphrodisiac by the Filipino men. It is quite common for the Filipino menfolk to gather around in the evening for a drinking session with Balut.

Well, what makes it unique is that Balut is a sixteen to twenty-one day old fertilised egg of a duck or chicken. The egg is then boiled with not only the yolk present inside but also with the embryo. The embryos are formed with all the normal limbs that you find on young ducklings, like the legs, partially feathered wings, complete with the beak as well! The partially formed skeleton of the embryos and the newly formed limbs and the beaks of the chick are what gives the Balut its distinctively crunchy taste.

The origin of this dish can be traced down to China’s “Maodan” or feathered egg in English. The Indonesian and the Thai’s also have something similar to Balut. Nevertheless, it is the Filipinos who have made this dish notoriously popular.

 In a way you could say, the Filipino culture revolves around this dish. Only here in the Philippines, you get many varieties like the adobong Balut, bottled Balut, pickled Balut. Also, Balut omelette which is an addition to the traditional suck, peel, and swallows variety. 

To savour the Balut is quite easy. You just need to tap the pointed tip of the egg to make a hole which is large enough to suck the broth out of the egg. The way to eat the Philippines Balut is to sprinkle some salt or vinegar on it and then just bite it down, chew and then swallow. 

What makes it an exotic dish is that the Balut is prepared in an extremely cautious and controlled manner. The technique used will determine whether you get the best of its flavors. All the techniques used have been traditionally learned by the local makers. The point is: whenever you are in the Philippines, try to find the nearest store that serves up some native delicacies because you have never been to a country if you have not savored its culinary delights. 

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12 COMMENTS

  1. Well written… While each country has its own unique, special and popular food, Balut is definitely very unique and may not be palatable to all leaving aside the ethical, if any, aspects of it.

    Congrats on your article. Keep writing. Looking forward for more

  2. Lovely writing Hema.. But for sure not my dish tooooo…. Can’t think of swallowing a duckling with feathers and beak… Yesss would suerly have a half boiled egg… May be its aroma change my mind when served… But for now…??..

  3. Hi Hima Wow ? …… well written article …. its well researched too……. Balut will be on my mind….. but not on my plate ?

  4. Hi Hima Wow ? …… well written article …. its well researched too……. Balut will be on my mind….. but not on my plate.

  5. Thank you so much for sharing some unknown facts, details included about this delicacy. Looking forward to read your favourite dish in your next blog??.

  6. Thank you for your thorough research and clear writing.
    Balut is highly nutritious and very rich in protein.
    It has medicinal values just like placenta which is a popular cusine in some Asian countries.
    I enjoy non vegetarian dishes especially the nutrition packed ones but unfortunately even the thought of having Balut is obnoxious.
    You have done such an amazing job
    Please continue your good work.

  7. Very well written hems. Perfect premise to the rich history of Phillipines and it’s food , and just smoothened on into “balut”. So descriptive that I was cringing for most part and visualizing everything. Omg cannot believe people eat that with embryonic limbs intact and the crunchy word made all kinds of sounds in my brain, but that’s not the point here? keep writing and keep expanding our world through it. Loved reading your article, Balut however as you said, cannot convince myself to like it at all, that will have to wait a long long time or maybe forever for love from us mere mortals?

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