balut is a fertilized egg incubated for 14-21 days, boiled, then eaten directly from its shell. It’s typically made with duck eggs, specifically native or Pateros duck eggs, but it can be made with chicken eggs as well if the former isn’t available. When it comes to Filipino dishes fit only for the daring, balut is arguably at the top of the food chain.
Frankly, I grew up eating balut so I don’t find it the least bit off-putting, but many people do, including Filipinos. Ren for example, loves the “soup” and yolk but she won’t touch the embryo. Depending on how long it’s been incubated before being boiled, you’ll find balut with the embryo in different stages of development. The ideal incubation period is said to be exactly 17 days. At that stage, the embryo is completely soft and unrecognizable save for its developing feathers. But I have gotten much bigger embryos that already resemble ducklings! Those typically have harder bones and beaks and are more difficult to stomach, even for seasoned balut eaters. Not to gross you out (if I haven’t already), but I do remember eating one with an already developed beak. It was hard so I had to spit it out. 😆
Balut is often seasoned with salt and/or a chili, garlic, and vinegar mixture, but I’ve always eaten it as is. We Filipinos know how off-putting balut can be for many tourists, so we get a kick out of challenging them to eat it. Most chicken out.
You might also come across a version of balut called “penoy”. These are the balut eggs that don’t properly develop after 9-12 days. Balut penoy is like a hard-boiled egg with no separation between the yolk and egg white, kind of like a semi-scrambled egg still in its shell. I prefer the real thing
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Famous streetfood at night till dawn, so unique by it looks and taste, but loved by most of us Filipinoes, penoy is so delicious to eat with vinegar sauce and cocumber.