Chicken and duck eggs are the most popular types throughout Asia. Duck eggs are very popular in Asian kitchens, second only to chicken eggs. Even though they are commonly eaten as Westerners eat them, boiled, fried in a pan, or as part of other dishes, duck eggs nevertheless often constitute the basis of exotic delicacies that are rarely appreciated by Westerners, but are very popular regionally. The most interesting ethnic foods based on duck eggs are balut and the so-called thousand-year eggs. While both of these foods can be prepared using chicken eggs as well, duck eggs are preferred by most eaters for both of these specialties. The resent paper will look at balut and century-eggs and examine their history and importance for Asian food culture.
Balut is the name for the fertilized duck eggs that are enormously popular in the Philippines. Other Asian peoples also enjoy this dish such as the Chinese, the Vietnamese, the Cambodians or the Thai, though they are found under a different name in these countries. The Philippines however, enjoy it so much that has become part of their culture, and represents the country where fertilized duck eggs are consumed the most, and can be found virtually everywhere, on the streets, in restaurants, in clubs, or at home. Margaret Magat (2007), a researcher who has studied the history and cultural development of the fertilized duck egg, explains that they may have been brought to Philippines by Chinese traders in the 16th century, where their popularity began to grow. The reason for their popularity, Magat (2007) argues, consists in the fact that they are an inexpensive source of protein and essential minerals. Moreover, following the Spaniard’s arrival in Philippines, the idea that fertilized eggs are aphrodisiac for men was introduced in relation to the machismo concept (Magat 2007).
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The fertilized duck egg is left in a warm place for 16 to 19 days, depending on the region. At this time, the duck embryo is nearly entirely formed, with soft bones and beak. The balut is either bought ready-made, or is boiled at home, and then eaten, seasoned with salt and other spices. The Filipinos eat two types of balut, of which one is called mamatong, and it consists of a younger embryo of 14-16 days. The balut sa puti is the 16-18 days balut, which is preferred in Philippines. In Vietnam, the fertilized duck eggs, called Hot Vit Lon, are eaten when they are 19-21 days old, only a weak before hatching, so they are by then entirely formed.
Though borrowed from the Chinese, and eaten by many other Asian cultures, the balut came to be known as a Filipino dish. According to Magat (2007), the balut is so emblematic to the Filipino culture that it is the ultimate test of being Filipino. Filipinos test their friends and foreign visitors by offering them a balut, and by refusing it, one refuses the entire Filipino culture, not only the food (Magat 2007). The balut has evolved from a food of the folk to street food, enjoyed as a to-go snack, and to a huge business. As Magat (2007) shows, it has become part of the cultural heritage, being a symbol of national identity.
In China, eggs have been a forbidden delicacy for Chinese farmers, because most were sold to rich people in the cities. Moreover, egg production has remained low up to modern times, and of those which were produced, many were exported (Simoons 1991). Even though today, the production of eggs has increased significantly, exceeding that of the United States, Chinese people continue to be unenthusiastic consumers. However, one kind of egg that the Chinese do enjoy is the century-old egg, or thousand-year egg, or pidan, which has been a traditional dish in China for over 500 years.
This dish, which can be made of any type of egg, is mostly prepared using duck egg, as in the case of balut. Despite its name, the egg is not preserved for a century but rather, merely for 2 or three months. According to Frederick Simoons (1991), this delicacy, usually bought at the market, has an unusual color and flavor, with a powerful ammoniac smell. In order to make them, eggs are wrapped in a mud-like layer of pine ash, lime and salt dissolved in water. Upon removal of the shell, 100 days later, the egg’s shell is cleaned and the egg can be eaten uncooked. The white of the egg has a jelly consistency, and a yellow or amber color, while the yolk becomes green and resembles cheese (Simoons 1991). It may be then included in a number of dishes or may be eaten as a snack, or garnished with rice.
According to legend, the making of century-eggs dates from the Ming Dinasty (1368-1644), and was first recorded in the Hunan province. It is said that one day, a person discovered duck eggs in a pool of leftover slaked lime which he had used to build his house two months before. The person tasted the eggs and enjoyed the taste so much that he decided to repeat the process and try to obtain more eggs (China Daily 2011). According to China Daily (2011), later, other ingredients were added, to increase the flavor of the egg, such as salt, or lime, which increase the sodium level of the mud, and help to preserve the eggs better.
Today, the century-eggs are produced in mass, using chemical compounds to speed-up the process and ensuring that the hygiene measures are respected to avoid unwanted elements reaching the egg, but also to avoid the spoiling of the egg. The century –eggs are extremely popular and despite their unusual appearance, they have started to become renowned abroad as well. Despite the fact that Chinese cooking is separated in different regions, and local tastes vary to a great extent, the century egg is one dish that is enjoyed throughout the entire China.
Duck eggs are therefore the basis of interesting and unique kinds of food throughout Asia. The two types of food detailed here, which are mainly based on duck eggs, have the same Chinese origin, though the balut was long ago exported to other regions of Asia. Even though westerners usually rejects these foods, which are mainly enjoyed by the locals, the nutritional value of these foods, which has been important in times when food was not readily available, cannot be denied.
- “Accidental Discovery Now National Favorite”. China Daily. 2011.Web.
- Magat, Margaret. “ ‘Balut’, the Fertilized Duck Eggs of the Phillipines”. Eggs in Cookery: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 2006. Ed. Richard Hosking. Devon: Prospect Books. 2007, 160-171. Print.
- Simoons, Frederick. Food in China. A Cultural and Historical Inquiry. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Print.
