Dumaguete City, Philippines
We had only a couple days left in the Philippines and there were a few thing I still needed to do. (Sadly, there was little consensus among my readers for me to attend a cockfight--the vote turned out pretty even.) I still needed to eat balut, the partially developed duck egg or embryo.
Joseph's friend Christina gave me an "out" the day before. While bagoong-eating is often considered the test of a "true Filipino," she said, balut-eating is not required. Plenty of Filipinos forego the delicacy.
In Dumaguete every evening, balut-sellers line up under the street lights of Rizal Avenue next to the sea wall. People sit at make-shift stools and tables, drink a refreshing beverage, and eat balut served from the warm baskets of the balut vendors. Every evening, the area is teaming with foreigners, Filipino tourists, and locals. In places like Manila, I read online, balut-eating is declining as the rising middle class view balut as peasant food. But it still seems very popular here in the Visayas.
Ironically, a pearl-wearing American retiree, the lovely Joanne, offered me the most helpful advice about finding the best balut in town. "You've got to go to the seller right across from Bethel on Rizal Avenue. He sells balut at 16 days. Some of the other vendors sell younger balut and it's like you're eating a boiled egg. You've got to have the embryo developed some to get the best flavors." A balut connoisseur!
So that's where we ended up on our next-to-last night in the Philippines.
Joseph's friend Christina gave me an "out" the day before. While bagoong-eating is often considered the test of a "true Filipino," she said, balut-eating is not required. Plenty of Filipinos forego the delicacy.
In Dumaguete every evening, balut-sellers line up under the street lights of Rizal Avenue next to the sea wall. People sit at make-shift stools and tables, drink a refreshing beverage, and eat balut served from the warm baskets of the balut vendors. Every evening, the area is teaming with foreigners, Filipino tourists, and locals. In places like Manila, I read online, balut-eating is declining as the rising middle class view balut as peasant food. But it still seems very popular here in the Visayas.
Ironically, a pearl-wearing American retiree, the lovely Joanne, offered me the most helpful advice about finding the best balut in town. "You've got to go to the seller right across from Bethel on Rizal Avenue. He sells balut at 16 days. Some of the other vendors sell younger balut and it's like you're eating a boiled egg. You've got to have the embryo developed some to get the best flavors." A balut connoisseur!
So that's where we ended up on our next-to-last night in the Philippines.
This seller told us he gets his duck eggs from Manila. They're boiled and then placed in a basket with hot stones at the bottom to keep the eggs warm.
Warm balut in hand, I cracked a hole in the top.
Warm balut in hand, I cracked a hole in the top.
I drank off any remaining liquid, or it would just spill everywhere. Not surprisingly, the liquid tasted a bit like chicken broth.
I peeled the shell. Added condiments like salt, vinegar, or soy sauce and I was ready.
It was actually pretty good, a mix of egg and duck flavors. You get to see what I ate because of the flash from the camera. To be honest, I couldn't see it! LOL. Possibly the best way to eat balut--outdoors in the dark!
(Photos by Christina Newhard. Thanks, Christina!)
(Photos by Christina Newhard. Thanks, Christina!)
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