Have you eaten balot/balot?

14 comments

1. Nope, even my Filipino friends are disgusted by it.

2. Nasty AF. Couldn’t swallow. Chewed like 4 seconds and blew chunks. ( and I’ve eaten some weird crap in Japan).

3. No, but I just googled it. And kind of wish I hadn’t…!

4. I’d eat well developed fertilized eggs in a starvation scenario without a second thought, but with the cost of feed being relatively low, I prefer to kill and consume full sized animals. Even if it didn’t involve torture, I wouldn’t like veal as a practice just because so much more could be gained by a full size animal.

5. When I took zoology at community college, there was an extra credit assignment during multicultural day to eat foods from the “unusual cuisine from my culture” table. 1 point of extra credit for every one you tried.

   I needed every point I could get because that class was kicking my ass. So hell yeah I’ve tried balut.

   Once you get past that you’re eating beak and feathers, it’s …okay. Like a meaty poached egg.

6. *Balut* are not exclusive to the Philippines. They’re a huge delicacy in many East Asian countries.

   Coming from an Asian family and having traveled plenty in Asia, I’ve eaten it many times. Wouldn’t be my first choice for a gourmet meal but, as a streetfood, it’s pretty tasty.

7. Nope. I’m an entirely Americanized Filipino American. My parents generation were born here and not taught Tagalog on purpose (1950s).

   My dad’s generation used to joke about balut and chocolate pork.

   I can make adobo though 🙂

8. Nope. Never heard of it.

9. No, but I have a story.
   A farmer friend lived near an elderly Hmung couple years ago. The husband was in his early 90s, was in great shape, and helped with my friend’s livestock. One winter he got some sort of cold/flu and was laid up for months. The wife asked my friend for 5 dozen fertilized eggs with small embryos. She had her husband drink 2 raw, bloody duck eggs a day (the embryos were optional) to “make him young again”. Just suck ’em right down. My friend thought that was the last time he’d ever see the old man. But, honest to God, after that month was up the old man strode right back into my friend’s kitchen, good as new. My friend moved away a couple years later but said the old man was just as active as ever. Saw my friend at the market the other day and joked about trying the bloody egg fountain of life. Both of us agreed we’d rather be old!

10. No. First thing I thought of after Googling this is Gul Madred feeding Picard those live eggs and him tearing into it out of hunger 😛 There are four lights!!!!

11. I’ve eaten balut in the US. It’s pretty tasty. Like, the most eggy and chicken soup-tasting thing ever. I know it’s a bit disturbing, but it tastes so good, that you end up not caring that it’s a duck fetus.

12. Nope never will either no offense

13. Know what it is. Haven’t tried it. I probably would try it if offered. Not going to go out of my way to try it.

14. No.

    But I have seen it on Chopped, and I definitely do not see myself ever trying it.

    Not hating on anyone who likes it. It’s just not for me.