Seasoned travelers to Asia are not surprised by such exotic foods as insects, snakes, crocodiles, rats, dogs, etc. But there is one particular exotic delicacy that only rare travelers dare to try: Balut eggs.
Balut (Balut, also sometimes pronounced Balot or Balut, or “paw eggs”) are chicken or duck eggs that have been incubated for 14-21 days before the chick embryo matures in it. Most often, embryo eggs are boiled before consumption, but on rare occasions may be fried or eaten raw or hard-boiled. Salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and lemon juice are used as condiments “in bite”. It is believed to be a predominantly male delicacy because it gives masculine strength.
The homeland of balut is considered to be China, but nowadays this delicacy is most widespread in the Philippines, it is also found in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore and some other Southeast Asian countries. In Muslim countries (Malaysia and Indonesia) the use of balut is not welcome, although it can be found on sale in Chinese and other national communities.
Eggs can be found for sale at street vendors and even in supermarkets, but less and less because of the reputation of eating for the poor. In the Philippines, this dish, though considered a delicacy, is happily consumed at family gatherings and is almost a must-have gift at Christmas.
Where to Buy and How to Try
Usually the freshest balut is sold at street vendors in the evenings, ready-to-eat, complete with condiments. The vendors are displayed in the same places that any local knows about. The signs indicate the ripening period, and the longer it is, the more mature the chick inside is accordingly. But you can not always trust the date indicated, often it turns out to be longer. And yet, boiled soft-boiled balut may be dangerous to health, because it contains multiplied microorganisms that die only after a long heat treatment. In the Philippines, one balut egg costs from 15 to 25 pesos, and a bag of sauce (vinegar or soy sauce) and salt is included free of charge.
You can’t objectively call the taste of balut pleasant, and that’s putting it mildly. In addition to the chick surrounded by the consistency of the yolk, there is also the amniotic fluid inside, which is also drunk. The egg white of the balut is very hard, and it is also eaten. The locals eat the whole balut in one bite, but if you dare to try it, the first time you should buy the youngest eggs, 14 days old, because the chick has not formed a skeleton, a beak and plumage. A more mature balut has the unpleasant taste and unpleasant smell of protein decomposition added to the unpleasant taste. It is very difficult to eat it clean the first time, it can also end in vomiting. But it’s more likely not because of the taste, but the psychological rejection, plus the extremely unpleasant consistency. So be sure to snack on it with the accompanying spices and moisten the sauce, can help alcohol, which should be consumed before, not together with the egg.
Misconceptions about balut
There are several legends and misconceptions associated with balut, apparently derived from the pages of numerous travel blogs, whose authors theorize and describe it without going into detail or even trying it. For example, in one of the blogs we encountered a description that the taste of balut does not differ from the usual hard-boiled eggs. This is complete nonsense, so if you decide to try it, be prepared for unusual and unpleasant tastes, smells, and consistency.
You can also encounter the opinion that it is very high in protein and it is an unrealistically nutritious and useful product. This is also complete nonsense. In fact, the protein and nutrients there is not more than in the most common raw or boiled egg. It’s just that raw egg proteins are converted into proteins with a different amino acid modification, and byproducts are also released.
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