Balut

I am usually willing to try a few odd “delicacies” when I travel to faraway places. When in Vietnam, for example, I ate a couple of coconut worms. They are about the size of your pinky and were cooked to a degree. There are two notable delicacies here in the Philippines. One is balut, which are fertilized duck eggs in which the embryos are allowed to develop for a time before the eggs are hard-cooked. The other is the Philippine version of bird’s nest soup.

Desiree’s daughters took it upon themselves to buy me a balut egg one evening in Palawan. I tried it, but I must forewarn you, such a thing is not for the squeamish. Inside the egg, you will find part yolk and part tiny bird. I ate the yolk part, which was just fine, but I could not manage the little bird on principle.

I did not try bird’s nest soup, which is called Nido soup in the Philippines because it is found particularly at El Nido. Not to put too fine a point on this, bird’s nest soup is pretty much bird spit. This delicacy originates from China and is made from the nests of swiftlets, which are composed of the bird's saliva. These nests are harvested, cleaned, and then typically simmered in a broth, often with other ingredients like chicken or seafood. The soup is valued for its purported health benefits and unique gelatinous texture.

Maybe next time on Nido soup.

Maybe not.

Balut

—Mitchell Hegman