My First Taste of Balut

Who doesn’t like balut? I like! Do you know what a balut is? A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell, according to Mr. Wiki. It is a common street food here in the Philippines.

photo not mine

Here in Dipolog City, you can see most balut bendors along the boulevard at night but there’s one certain place that I prefer when buying balut. It is in front a video-ke bar called Mckevin’s, which my friends and I love to hang out when we feel like singing.

Buying balut in front Mckevin's

I used to despise the producers or sellers of balut for making such exotic food for the process is, a duck embryo is boiled alive inside its shell. But I came to think, its meat will be served on the plate anyway when it turns adult. When I got the nerve to have a look and a taste of it, just a sip of its juice for the first time, I didn’t like. I spitted out everything after, even made me almost threw up.  Just a thought of me eating a whole duck fetus while smelling its nasty odor is sickening.

Sitting here in front my computer writing this blog post, I recalled the very first time I ate a whole balut. Oh, it wasn’t easy. There were a lot of forcing and enticing done. My first taste of a whole balut, including the embryo or fetus, or whatever you call it, was in Arayat Pampanga way back 2003 or 2004.  It was my cousin who enticed and dared me to eat. Even how many times I refused she just kept on enticing saying it tasted so good. She even turned off the light in their kitchen just so I cannot see it while eating. That was a funny experience and I was so glad I gave in and accepted her dare because now, I so love balut!