Balut (food)

thumb|[[Mallard ducks are used extensively in the production of balut—female (left) and male (right).]]

Balut ( , ; also spelled as balot) is a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled or steamed and eaten from the shell. It is commonly sold as street food, often eaten with salt and vinegar, most notably in the Philippines, Cambodia (, ), and Vietnam (), and also occasionally in Thailand ().

The length of incubation before the egg is cooked is a matter of local preference, but generally ranges from two to three weeks. Balut can also cause vomiting if not cooked correctly.

Description

A balut is a fertilized bird egg (usually a duck) that is incubated for a period of 14 to 21 days, depending on the local culture, and then steamed. The contents are eaten directly from the shell. Balut that is incubated for longer periods have a well-developed embryo and the features of the duckling are recognizable. The partially developed embryo bones are soft enough to chew and swallow as a whole. The mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchus), also known as the "Pateros duck", is often used to make balut. Balut is a renowned dish due to its different developmental stages; some people prefer it when the duck embryo is still largely liquid, while others prefer it when it is more mature and has a chewier texture. A combination of savory, gamey, and rich characteristics can be found in the flavor, which makes it an acquired taste that many Filipinos treasure as a culinary treat and a part of their culture. Balut was introduced to the Philippines by the Chinese in 1565, and since then balut has been included as a traditional part of the culture. Ethical concerns are most often attributed to the presence of a fertilized embryo within the dish, given the fact that the egg has not yet hatched nor been given the chance to hatch. There are also ethical concerns as to whether the embryos can feel pain at the stages balut tends to be boiled.

Preparation

thumb|right|Balut in partially broken shells.

Traditionally, the fertilized eggs are incubated in the sun or buried in sand and stored in baskets to retain warmth. In order for the embryo to develop normally, it must be exposed to heat for the correct period of time while ensuring that the temperature is not too hot to harm the eggs or too cold to permit growth. The embryo is extremely sensitive to high temperatures and is easily killed upon cooking in the sun.

The duration of egg incubation is a matter of local preference. In the Philippines, balut is generally incubated for 14 to 18 days before being boiled for consumption. At about 14 to 16 days of incubation, the embryo floats on top of the egg white and yolk, and the balut is called "mamatong".

Chemistry of cooking

During this cooking process, changes occur in the food chemistry of balut, such as the sol dispersion of water molecules within the embryonic fluid. This liquid becomes the broth for the solid which are parts of the duck within the egg. Although balut mainly consists of protein, fat is present and is emulsified within the fertilized embryo. After cooking, it can be considered a protein gel, depending on the length of time it was cooked. Heating high-protein food such as balut can cause the chemical changes to take place and fully or partially denature proteins, causing the surface to become thick and causing an irreversible gel protein to form. Physical and chemical changes in the final balut product can also be attributed to microbial infections and the rate that microbes infect the balut at various stages.

There are many chemical changes that occur inside the duck egg as it is being processed, which can vary depending on how or what it is cooked with. While boiling, added salt can contribute to a number of chemical changes; it seems to increase the proportional weight of egg white within the shell, which can be due to the weight differences between the embryo and the egg white itself. Added salt can also increase the hardness of the egg yolk and affect the overall texture of the final balut product. A duck egg might have a higher value of nutrition than a chicken egg, but overall, both chicken and duck balut have approximately the same nutritional value.

In folk medicine, according to popular Vietnamese belief, these eggs are a nutritious and restorative food for pregnant or delivering women.

File:Balut eggs.jpg|Balut eggs

File:Egg minerlas.jpg|Nutrition specifications for egg-type duck (balut)

</gallery>

Dishes and vending

Balut eggs are savored for their balance of textures and flavors. The broth surrounding the embryo is often sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled, then the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. All of the contents of the egg may be consumed, although the white albumen may remain uneaten, depending on the age of the fertilized egg. This white albumen may have an unappetizing cartilaginous taste and is tough and rubbery in texture.

In the Philippines, balut has recently entered haute cuisine by being served as appetizers in restaurants, cooked adobo style, fried in omelettes, or even used as filling in baked pastries. In Vietnam, balut is eaten with a pinch of pepper salt with lime/kumquat or ginger and rau răm (also known as laksa leaf). The dish "trứng vịt lộn" can be served as boiled balut or grilled balut. In Cambodia, balut is eaten while still warm in the shell and served with nothing more than a little garnish, which is usually a mixture of lime juice and ground pepper.

A similar preparation is known in China as maodan (), modan (), wangjidan (), or huozhuzi (). Chinese traders and migrants are said to have brought the idea of eating fertilized duck eggs to the Philippines; however, the knowledge and craft of balut-making has been localized by the balut-makers (magbabalut). Today, balut production has not been mechanized in favor of the traditional production by hand.

Many vendors sell cooked balut from buckets of sand (used to retain warmth) accompanied by small packets of salt. Uncooked balut are rarely sold in Southeast Asia. In the United States, Asian markets occasionally carry uncooked balut eggs. Alternatively, they can be ordered by mail. The cooking process is identical to that of hard-boiled chicken eggs, and baluts are eaten while still warm.

Duck eggs that are not properly developed after nine to twelve days are sold as penoy, which look, smell, and taste similar to a regular hard-boiled egg. In Filipino cuisine, these are occasionally beaten and fried, similar to scrambled eggs, and served with a vinegar dip.

File:15DayBalutEgg.png|Fifteen-day-old balut egg dipped in a mixture of hot sauce and vinegar

File:Chinese Balut sold in Nanjing 20100115.jpg|Shelled and fried balut

File:Balut Egg.jpg|Balut

File:BALUT.jpg|Underaged balut with visible chick

File:07441jfCuisine Breads Fruits Baliuag Landmarks Bulacanfvf 27.jpg|Penoy

</gallery>

Consumption and uses

Locations of consumption

Balut is consumed in high amounts within countries in Southeast Asia, including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. Pateros is a first-class municipality in metro Manila, Philippines, that is famous for its duck-raising industry and balut production. The Pateros municipality was actually named for its duck farmers by speakers of Spanish.

Balut is recognized as a national food of the Philippines. It is commonly sold as a street food and served as an appetizer in restaurants. The taste of balut is similar to chicken soup, and it has an unusual texture.

Balut is found in some countries and locations of North America. While it cannot be found in every store in North America, specialty stores such as T&T — and, in particular, Filipino stores in the Greater Vancouver area — often sell balut. In the United States, growers such as Metzer Farms specialize in balut production, spreading the knowledge of balut and its awareness.

One reason it may not be found or consumed as frequently in North America is that the majority of people outside of Southeast Asia still recognize balut as a novel and taboo food and are often anxious about trying it. Balut can be served in many ways and may be cooked, boiled, or fried. It may be cooked adobo style, fried in omelets, or used as filling in pastries. Although balut is globally recognized as a Filipino food, it is being consumed less and less in the Philippines. This is partly due to increasingly Western tastes, but also because balut is often associated with poverty.

According to the FDA Food Code, balut can perish over time or due to temperature changes. After being cooked, balut should be handled either at and above or kept at or below .

Religious prohibitions

Eating balut is forbidden for some religious groups. Both Judaism and Islam have strict prohibitions on consuming food that is prepared in manners incompatible with religiously prescribed dietary laws. In Judaism, the embryo of a chick inside an egg of a bird, even a kosher bird, is forbidden for consumption. The Quran forbids consumption of meat if the animal has not been slaughtered properly, making the animal or animal-product "maytah". this makes it "haram", or "forbidden".

Animal welfare

Information relating to whether boiling a partially developed embryo is ethically acceptable or not can be found in the legislation relating to the euthanasia and treatment of research animals. Bird embryos that have reached greater than 50% of their incubation have developed a neural tube sufficient for pain perception; therefore, they should be euthanized by similar methods used in avian neonates, such as anesthetic overdose, decapitation, or prolonged exposure to carbon dioxide. Similarly, in the UK, embryonic birds are "protected animals" once they have reached the last third of their incubation period. There are specified methods of humanely killing protected animals used in research, but boiling is not one of these. Depending on the species of duck, some eggs used for balut would be boiled within the last half or third of embryo development. Duck embryos are often taken off incubation in order to stunt the growth process; the embryos no longer develop and become readily available for purchasing. The RSPCA Australia recommends against boiling the duck embryo from the 18th day of incubation onwards due to the potential for suffering beyond that point, and notes that it is "an area that is yet to be further researched".

Several groups wish to ban balut. A petition has been raised to get 5,000 signatures to have balut labeled "fertilized duck egg with embryo" and taken off the menu in the Maharlika restaurant, New York. , the restaurant was selling balut for $5 each. As a response to this petition, Filipino New Yorkers have created a counterpetition, asking to leave the food item alone.

Outside Southeast Asia

Outside of Southeast Asia, balut has been featured on reality television shows, such as in season one of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, or as part of eating challenges, such as on Fear Factor in 2002, Hell's Kitchen in 2013, The Amazing Race Asia 2, The Amazing Race Australia 2, The Amazing Race Ukraine, Survivor: Palau, Survivor: China, Survivor: Caramoan, and Survivor: Cambodia.

In the United States, eggs are sold at Asian markets. However, to get the right age eggs and to ensure freshness, it is recommended that they be purchased from a professional or an egg vendor at Asian farmers markets.

Guinness World Record

thumb|Certificate for the record

On April 10, 2015, former Pateros mayor Jaime C. Medina collaborated with the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA, Manila) and the History Channel to attempt to set the record for the world's largest serving of balut in Pateros, Metro Manila. The CCA chefs, headed by Tristan Encarnacion, prepared 1,000 pieces of balut into an adobo dish that was recorded to have weighed 117.5 kilograms. The resulting dish was enjoyed by the townsfolk in a symbolic boodle fight, with tables topped with banana leaves stretching along B. Morcilla Street.

In popular culture

The 2024 horror video game Hapunan has the player taking on the role of Niko, a poor Filipino student who sells balut in Barangay Sak Dudol, where a gang of contract killers is suspected of committing brutal murders during the night.

References

External links

How to make the Hawaiian version of Balut
Balut: the ugly duckling embryo: The balut in Filipino culture
Eating Balut: Going Too Far?
What is a Balut Egg?
How To Eat Balut -- The Strangest Food You Can Buy In New York City on YouTube
Balut The filipino food delicacy, a fertilized duck egg on YouTube