Balut is an fertilized egg (usually duck eggs in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam but chicken in China) on the verge of hatching into a life yet not fully formed, and then boiled or steamed. The contents are eaten directly from the shell. At this stage, the egg already shows traces of a head, wings and feet. Such an egg that is halfway between an egg and a chicken during incubation is called “balut” (which literally means “毛蛋feathered egg”). There are two types of balut: one is a dead embryo inside the egg between 14–21 days of incubation, caused by improper temperature, humidity or bacterial infection. The other one is a live embryo, formed intentionally around 17 days by stopping the incubation, usually by cutting off the power source to “end the egg’s life”. This developed chicken embryo inside the eggshell, with its blastoderm resembling a shimmering pearl, is referred to as “活珠子(live pearl)”.
Balut originated from China during the Ming dynasty about 700 years ago. The famous medical book Compendium of Materia Medica（本草纲目） recorded some healing effects of chicken embryos by 李时珍, a renowned doctor then. It was used in a single prescription to treat dizziness and “can relieve headache, migraines, vertigo and manic psychosis”. By the Qing dynasty around 170 years ago, balut had become a popular snack in Nanjing City, especially LiuHe district, which is renowned as “the home of balut”.
Balut was introduced to the Philippines in 1885. There it quickly became a cheap, convenient snack for laborers. Since then, wherever Filipino immigrants went, they brought balut with them, causing its popularity across Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
When eating, the eggshell is usually cracked open first. A small hole is torn in the membrane over the embryo and the warm fluid (amniotic fluid) is sipped. Then, salt and vinegar are added for flavoring before the rest of the balut is scooped out by peeling back the eggshell. Balut itself tastes quite bland. The yolk part has a rich creamy flavor. The broth tastes like a very rich chicken or duck broth. If it is undercooked, it would taste fishy. Even in the Philippines, the more developed the embryo eaten is thought to correlate with one’s masculinity.
Name: Balut,毛鸡蛋,活珠子,旺鸡蛋, 喜蛋, 鸡仔胎, ពងទាកូន, paung tea kaun, trứng vịt lộn, hột vịt lộn
Region:China,Philippines,Vietnam
People:Southeast Asian,Chinese
Process:Boil
1. Wash the purchased baluts clean with water.
2. Put clean water in a pot to submerge the baluts. Bring it to a boil uncovered over high heat.
3. After boiling, cook for 15–20 minutes covered.
4. Put five spice powder and salt in a bowl for dipping.
5. Enjoy dipping the balut in the powdered mix.
