I thought it was easy to eat something exotic. Most people enjoy them. I, for sure do not. And it was confirmed last night when I had my first encounter with Balut.
"Balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as street food in the Philippines".
(source: wikipedia)
I was eager to try out of curiosity. So I dared.
I bought a 16-day old and 17-day old eggs. I decided to eat them at home to avoid the pressure of passersby and the balut vendor's stares.
The moment.
I had to sip the "juice" first. It was a back and forth motion before I finally took a sip. It tasted a little sweet and a little sour. The juice was..well..okay (for lack of a better word).
But then I had to peel the shell off to see what was inside and eat it. And it made me back out. But it was a dare to myself, so I had to continue.
Me: "I think that's hair!?"
Me: "It is hair!!!" (actually, feathers). I felt the feathers slide on my tongue and I had to spit them out. I didn't like the feel nor the taste of it. And it made me swallow a spoonful or two of vinegar (supposedly for seasoning of balut) to wash away the funny taste.
Close, Open. Close, Open. I didn't feel like seeing what I was eating. It might just add up to the growing need not to pursue finishing my balut.
Eventually, someone had to finish the whole thing for me. Sad. But I could no longer do it. I tried but I failed. How much more if it was already a duck fetus inside! Whoa!
That's Hello and Goodbye Balut!
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