I had heard that eating partially developed duck embryo was a delicacy in certain parts of the world. Balut, as they call it in the Philippines, was always featured on those Food Network/Travel Channel "grossest foods" series (which I find annoying, but more on that another time). But when I came to Southeast Asia this winter, it was not really on my list of culinary delights to sample (and that list was very, very long).
Then, walking around downtown Hoi An, Vietnam late one night last December, my friends and I spied some women sitting on the street corner in little plastic chairs, eating something with great concentration and gusto. We were all very hungry. What are you eating? we asked.
"Vit lon," they told us. The vendor, an old woman in a kerchief, took an egg out of a red plastic bucket, put it on a plate with a little pile of salt and some herbs, and handed it to me, along with a doll-sized spoon. "Don't look, just eat," advised a younger patron. She motioned for me to crack the top of the egg with the spoon and suck out of the liquid. I did. Then, against good advice, I peered inside the shell: Tiny, sodden feathers, brownish membranes, translucent bones.
But you know what? It was tasty. Really. Like regular soft-boiled egg cooked with a bit of liver or kidneys or something else slightly gamey and meaty. Not bad at all for a midnight snack.
Has anyone else tried balut/vit lon? Liked it? What other unusual (per your culture) foods have you tried?
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