-
I rarely experience authentic Phillipine culture here in the U.S., and as a result, I've become really Americanized. When I do go home to the Philippines, I stick out like a sore thumb. Not just because I look different (I'm half Filipino, half Polish), but because sadly I don't partake in most of the foods the Philippines has to offer. Granted chicken adobo, pansit, and senigang are foods I can handle, but there are certain foods offered in the Philippines which just aren't very appetizing to me. Take, for example, balut. Balut is duck egg in which the embryo has been allowed to develop almost to full maturity. Most people wouldn't think twice on passing up such a food, but me, I'm different. I might not enjoy a lot of Philippine food, but I'll try anything once. So tonight, I visited my momma who was hosting a little party at her house. All the little Philippine ladies were there as usual. I was making my rounds, saying hello to everyone, when my mom offered me some balut. I really thought about saying no, but my pride got a hold of me, you know that pride that tells you you can do anything and should just to prove a point. Plus, maybe my little food adventure would help me better understand what most Filipinos consider a delicacy back home. How I regret my decision to say yes to my mom's offer! Balut is definitely not for the feint of heart, and it doesn't taste good at all. I don't say this as a dis, but more so as an expression of just how different cultures see certain foods as delicacies. It's hard to get through eating an egg in which an almost fully developed bird is staring back at you. Literally, my bird was staring back at me, and the head and eyeballs were enough to do me in. I came so close to finishing my whole egg, but fell short nonetheless. I now have a much deeper appreciation for my culture and what that means in terms of food. And for those who want a visual to go along with this story, I've posted some pics below. I apologize if they're not the best quality. I have no clue what I did with my digital camera, so I resported to using my BlackBerry's beastly 1.3 megapixels. Just beware it might not be for those with less than ironclad stomachs. I'm a very proud half Filipino, and I have a lot more respect for the foods my people eat.
What it all looks like after the shell comes off.
There's a head somewhere in that pile.
Trying my best to swallow.
Almost lost my lunch at the very end.
04-12-08 03:19 AM
