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It appears to be a harmless hard boiled egg except for the lite blue tint in the shell. This is balut. A duck egg that has been fertilized and then is cooked before the chick is fully formed. Sound strange, and it is a little. It might help if you think of it more like sof-shelled crabs.
In two years of living here I've successfully avoided eating this delicacy and have, instead, listened to horrorizing tales of first time experiances and how it scars people for life. This seemed sufficient. I was a little curious, but not so much so as to subject myself to a potentially unhappy situation. Although, there was one comment by a chef and foodie who said that it really just tasted like concentrated hard boiled egg. Curious.
The opportunity finally came. While visiting some friends here waaay up North. They were eating balut and said there was some for me, if I wanted it. So, why not?
It's really not that bad at all. Especially with a little vinegar and salt added. Mmmm. The flavor is a mix between liver and egg. You chip a little of the shell away and drink some liquid (don't know what it is and don't care to know. hehe) Then the rest of the shell can be chipped away as necessary to eat it. The yolk is super rubbery...over cooked in the world of hard boiled eggs, but just right with balut (i guess). Vinegar and salt are reapplied as necessary.
So, overall, the experience was good and will probably be repeated. Branching out isn't always so bad!
Kelly - my mouth is still hanging open!!! That is a tough one to swallow - literally. But I'm glad you decided to try it - I guess. The one picture sure looks like a little duckling - hard to imagine eating it. It's amazing how a culture can open new doors that you never even considered seeing as a door. Ha! Love you! Mom
ReplyDeleteAHHH! I wondered if you would ever get around to trying it. So glad it was palatable. The pictures don't exactly make your mouth start watering though. You're one brave girl. :)
ReplyDeleteSo the last two pictures are what's left over after you finished eating... right?? :\ I'll stick to regular hardboiled eggs thanks.
ReplyDeleteJust the very last picture. You eat everything inside. hehe. The inside of the shell was just so amazing though, had to take a pic.
ReplyDeleteWow were u filming an episode of bizaare foods with andrew zimmern that just looks like something really strange that he would eat and then he would say something like wow that's hardcore food i mean i'm an adventours eater and even i would think twice before eating that that's hardcore ur hardcore
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