Balut is a delicacy of Philippines. Balut looks insanely harsh and incredibly unappetizing!
So, what is it? Let us start learning 15 weird Balut facts and find out what is it all about!
Interesting Balut Facts: 1-5
1. Balut is a pretty common food in Philippines. It is, in fact, a common street food.
2. It is prepared by boiling a developing duck embryo alive inside the egg shell.
3. Balut is commonly served with beer and is eaten in shell.
4. Balut is also quite popular in other Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
5. In Philippines, people add more flavors to the Balut by seasoning it with a mixture of vinegar, garlic, chili and salt.
Interesting Balut Facts: 6-10
6. It is being said that the Balut offers a perfect balance of flavors and texture.
7. As far as the method of eating a Balut is concerned, it contains a broth that surrounds the boiled embryo. This broth is first sipped out of the shell.
8. Once the broth is sipped, the shell is then peeled and the chick and the yolk are eaten.
9. Sometimes the white of the egg is not eaten depending on the age of the fertilized egg that was used for preparing the Balut.
10. Depending on the age of the egg, the white of the egg can form a cartilaginous toughness which is pretty unappetizing.
Interesting Balut Facts: 11-15
11. Restaurants in Philippines often serve Balut as appetizers. The fertilizing eggs are also often used to make omelets and sometimes, baked pastries are filled with Balut.
12. Cambodian people enjoy the Balut when it is still warm inside the shell. The maximum seasoning they use is a little garnish made of ground pepper and lime juice.
13. The Vietnamese make use of Vietnamese mint leaves, ground pepper, lemon juice and salt to season the Balut.
14. In Philippines, the preferred age of the fertilized egg for Balut preparation is 17 days. When 17 days old the chicks do not develop claws, feathers and beaks. Bones are also undeveloped at that age.
15. Vietnamese have different thoughts. According to them, people must be able to recognize the chick as a baby duck and the bones should be tender yet firm when cooked. Thus, they prefer the egg to be 19 to 21 days old.