Balut: Fertilized Duck Eggs and Their Role in Filipino Culture

Overview

  • Balut, or fertilized duck eggs, is a food with cultural significance in the Philippines and other Asian countries.
    • It reflects the interplay of food, beliefs, culture, and history.
    • It is also known as hot vit lon in Vietnam.

Key Concepts

  • Consumption Factors: Socio-cultural factors, not just nutrition, drive balut consumption.
  • Symbolic and Material Explanations: Both illuminate why people eat balut, considering psychological, cultural, and socio-economic factors.
  • Aphrodisiac Properties: Filipino males consume balut for its alleged aphrodisiac qualities.
  • National Street Food: Balut is considered the Philippines' "national street food."

What is Balut?

  • Fertilized duck eggs in the U.S. range from 14 to 21 days in age.
    • Older eggs have more developed features.
  • Mamatong: 14-16 day old embryo floating on top.
  • Balut sa puti: 17-18 day old embryo wrapped in a thin, whitish membrane, and the favorite of Filipinos in the U.S. and the Philippines.

Eating Balut

  • Usually sold uncooked in Asian markets or cooked in Filipino restaurants in the U.S.
  • Prepared by boiling for 20-30 minutes and eaten warm with salt, vinegar, or soy sauce.
  • A good duck balut has four parts: yolk, bato (albumen), embryo, and liquid (soup).

Beliefs and Preferences

  • 60% of consumers believe in medicinal or aphrodisiac values.
  • Vietnamese and Cambodian Americans prefer older eggs (17-20 days), while women prefer younger eggs (14-16 days) or penoy eggs (8-10 days, no embryo).

Nutritional Value

  • According to The Food Composition Table for Use in East Asia (W. Leung et al., 1972:111), an embryonated duck egg has:
    • 188 calories, 13.713.7 grams of protein, 13.613.6 grams of fat
    • 116116 milligrams of calcium, 176176 milligrams of phosphorus
    • 1.51.5 milligrams of iron, 875875 micrograms of retinol
    • 435435 micrograms of niacin equivalent, .12.12 milligrams of thiamine
    • .25.25 milligrams of riboflavin, 33 milligrams of ascorbic acid.
  • Balut is considered a