This gentleman was manning the Balut Booth at the Miramar book launch. Ooh, I like the sound of that, "Balut Booth". These eggs hail from the Ramona Duck Farm in Ramona, CA (turns out there's a Westminster location as well). He was a very nice guy and was happy to explain the different types of eggs there.
If you don't already know, balut is considered a "delicacy" in the Philippines. Other Asian countries such as China and Vietnam also eat variations of balut. The Vietnamese version is called "Hot Vit Lon" (see Wandering Chopstick's post on how to eat Hot Vin Lon here) which are duck eggs matured up to three weeks.
He had fresh tiny quail eggs as well as duck eggs...
The quail egg prices are about the same as you would get at an Asian store, $1.50 per dozen. I bought two packages that day. They were easy to prepare at home. You don't have to boil them all that long. But. they are also a damn bitch to peel. I was told to peel them in a bowl of water and it would be easier to shell. TC enjoyed eating these later that night.
The dyed pink eggs were pickled. I've never tried them before and since I'm not a fan of pickled things, did not buy one.
There was a cooler with the goods. Balut is the cooked fertilized duck egg. Duck eggs that are not properly developed after nine to twelve days are sold as penoy, which is like a regular boiled egg without the embryo.
The gentleman, who was amused by my curiosity, opened up the cooler so I could take photos of the contents. These eggs were nice and toasty hot! Yes, he let me touch them!
Now you might be wondering if I actually ate a balut that day. No, I did not. Instead, my friend and his wife bought several balut for snacks...Here's one of them. See the vein?
You can see the eye...and the cooked yellow part too.
This balut was his wife's...
They cracked open the shells, then sucked out the juice before breaking apart more of the shell to eat the duck.
He told me that there were some crunchy parts but most of it was pretty soft - feathers, beak, eyes and all...
Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to try it. I think I'd have to douse this with some sort of sauce to cover what it looks like or something.
The idea of eating this doesn't bother me that much. It's just an egg, but uh, developed into an "almost duck". I grew up eating fish with their heads on and decapitated lechon for special occasions, so I'm used to having my food "look at me". I think I'd rather eat balut than a giant worm or spider or haggis or some other thing they make people eat on Fear Factor.
I just thought I'd share these lovely photos with you. They've been on the back burner for awhile.
Have any readers ever heard of this or tried it and if so, what was your take on this "delicacy"?
8 comments:
Ugh. I'm with you. If I have to eat it, sauce would completely cover any recognizable parts.
I have no desire to ever eat balut. I told Jake what it was once when we were in an Asian market and he was like, "Your people are weird." And I laughed and laughed.
I'm not brave enough to eat these though I've heard so much about them. The BF doesn't eat them either. My brother's girlfriend does and she loves them. She likes the salty liquid and the crunchy bits. I squirm just hearing her description.
hi darlene - yeah, sauce for sure!
hi mary - it's not high on my 'to eat' list either but i would be game to try it at least once (and hopefully never again)!!!!
hi kirbie - yeah, most of us younger generation Filipino (born and raised in the US) won't even touch it. the texture doesn't gross me out that much. I'd prefer that to something soft and gushy. if i can eat chicken breast bone cartilage then i can get over the "crunchy" bits in a balut. the liquid, i don't know though. ugh.
I just...can't. I have this weird issue with eggs period. Love em but freak out if there is an sign of fertilization ie. Veins, white parts, too thick bits in the yolk. :(
hi dd - yeah, it's not the most appetizing thing to look at, but hey, it's a source of protein!!!!! ha ha. i think i'd rather eat this than those korean silk worms in a can. bundaegi (sp?)
OMG. I'm Filipina and I have never eaten balut. The thought just makes me cringe. BLAH!
Funny story:
When I lived in Montreal, there was a couple from Toronto (originally from the Philippines) who had a not-really-legal Filipino import business. They catered to all the Pinoys in our neighbourhood. Anyway, they were transporting a shipment of balut from Toronto and there was an accident on the highway. Their van was turned over and crates of balut covered the highway.
The police were kind enough to say, "Oh! Excuse me sir! I think your eggs are bad!" or "I think you were given a bad bunch of eggs!" LOL! I can't remember the exact words, but it was hilarious!!
hi c - haha, 'not-so-legal'! love how you phrased that!!!!!! shady filipinos!
that's an accident of epic proportions! ugh! imagine the carnage! and the smell!
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