Balut!!!

I have yet to write a post about my time in the Philippines, and don't know if I ever will.  But I do want to share with you all an interesting edible which is common cuisine amongst locals and which I had the opportunity to try. Those of you who know me probably are aware that I am a bit crazy and adventurous in daily life and when it comes to trying new things.  I decided since the Philippinos eat it then why shouldn't I.  Here is a less graphic picture that I took from google images.  Trust me, it could have been a lot worse.

It's called "balut" and is a fertilized duck egg with a partially developed embryo inside.  They incubated until between 14 and 21 days and then boiled and eaten as a snack.  You can find people selling them all over the street at night and get to choose how developed you want your fetus to be.  I chose the 14 day fetus because I didn't know if I could handle the crunch of a beak and little feathers stuck between my teeth.

To eat the balut first you must find the end with hollow space, crack it open, pour in some vinegar and suck out all of the juice.  After you have sucked the juice you can begin peeling the egg.  You then eat the egg, pouring vinegar and salt on to your liking (use a lot).  I was very thankful that when I ate the balut it was  night time and could not see what I was eating.  I don't know if I would have been able to do it had I seen a fetal duck inside.

I wasn't so lucky about three days later when I got very sick to my stomach and probably had a mild case of salmonella poisoning for about three days at the end of my trip.  It all turned out okay though and if I had the chance I would do it again.  Maybe next time I'll go for the 21 day old fetus.