Eating Balut in the Philippines: A Must-Try Street Food Experience
Eating balut in the Philippines is a unique food experience and I think a must-try when visiting the Philippines. Balut, a fertilized duck egg is a popular street food in the Philippines that is commonly sold at markets and stalls.
With a touch of salt or vinegar, balut is a must-try snack for those that are seeking local Filipino street food. I’ve tried balut several times now, while it seems intimidating at first, I want to share my experiences and information on eating Balut in the Philippines.
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We’ve all heard of balut, mainly from negative responses and reactions. But what actually is balut? Balut is a fertilized duck egg that has been incubated meaning it is developing an embryo under favorable conditions.
So, what is the difference between your regular egg you get from a produce market or grocery store and balut?
A regular egg you buy at the store is not fertilized, it’s only egg white and yolk while balut is fertilized and begins to develop.
Balut is considered a delicacy in the Philippines. It’s a popular street food snack and can also be found in restaurants prepared in many different dishes.
From what I learned, the eating experience can depend on the amount of days the embryo has developed. The common stages I’ve come across are 14, 16, and 18 days.
14-day Balut: the embryo is mostly underdeveloped. The yolk is thicker and the embryo is soft and not clearly formed. If you are trying balut for the first time, try the 14 day old one.
16-day Balut: The embryo develops more, you can start seeing features like tiny feathers, a beak, maybe even bones. It’s still easy to eat. This might be the most popular version.
18-day Balut: This is considered a more mature version. The embryo is almost fully developed. The bones are firmer and the feathers are visible, yet still easy to eat. At this stage, the taste is much stronger.
How to Eat Balut
My experience eating balut has only been via street vendors at markets in Cebu and Manila. Every case was pretty much the same, you crack the top, sip the broth, peel the shell, season it to your liking, and eat it. I’ll break it down a bit more for you.
Crack the Top of the Egg: First things first, crack the egg if it hasn’t been cracked for you by the vendor. Open the top portion so you can see a little of the inside.
Sip Down the Broth: Once the egg is cracked, you’ll see the broth or juices inside. Slurp it up, it can get messy! Taste wise it’s pretty good, it’s like warm chicken broth.
Peel the Rest of the Shell: This part can get messy. Peel the shell halfway or entirely. Usually I do it halfway at first and eat as I peel. I’ve had instances of the embryo slipping out on to the ground when peeling to quickly.
Season to your liking: Almost all vendors selling balut will have salt, vinegar, and maybe chili. Use the seasonings to your liking. I usually eat mine as is or with a touch of salt.
Eat the Inside (Yolk and Embryo): Just think of the balut like a normal hard boiled egg. Everything inside is edible, so eat the embryo, yolk, and whites. Sometimes the white part is a little tough.
Let me know what you think: If you have tried or eaten balut, please, let me know what you think of it. Was it good? Terrifying? Ok? Let me know!
My Experiences Eating Balut in the Philippines
The first time I tried balut in the Philippines was at the Carbon Market in Cebu City. I had the 14-day old one. Since then, I’ve also had balut in Tagaytay and Manila’s Chinatown.
I’ve had the 14-day, 16-day, and 18-day balut. Honestly, I prefer the 14-day balut. I love hard boiled eggs and the 14-day old balut tasted just like a boiled egg, it was not as intimidating as the other stages.
My first experience eating balut, I was both excited and intimidated to try it. But as a traveler, I always tell myself, I’ll try everything at least once. Worst case scenario, I won’t like it, I can say I tried it, and won’t have to eat balut ever again.
As I cracked the egg, I looked inside and it did not look appetizing. I was on a Cebu City food tour and the guide just told me to sip the juices so I did and was surprised it tasted just like warm chicken broth.
I then peeled the shell, picked the balut apart, mainly for photos and to see the anatomy of the duck embryo and ate small sections.
Honestly, it was good, tasted just like a boiled egg, with a little more “texture.” My least favorite part was the thick white part, it was just tough and didn’t have to much flavor.
Fast forward a year later. I visited Manila and had the opportunity to try balut not once but twice. On this trip, I tried the 16-day and 18-day old balut.
The more developed duck fetus seemed like it was a little more to stomach. The first one I had while on a day trip from Manila the duck embryo slipped out of the shell and landed on the floor.
The 18-day old balut I tried from a vendor in Manila’s Chinatown. I felt very confident, peeled the egg and put the majority of the balut in my mouth to kind of taste all the textures all at once. Would not recommend this your first time.
Today, I wouldn’t say I absolutely love balut. But I can eat it no problems. If I find myself in the Philippines again, I’ll definitely eat it again if the opportunity arises.
Conclusion
Eating balut in the Philippines is more of an experience then anything else. When I first tried balut I was hesitant mainly because of the looks of it after first cracking the shell. But I was curious on how it tasted and honestly I was surprised by the taste.
It tasted like a hard boiled egg with I like to say, “a little more texture.” After trying it a few different times now, I can confidently tell you that balut looks much worse then it tastes. So try it out next time you are paying a visit to the Philippines. And let me know what your experience is!
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