From a tourist
Have you ever devoured the delicious broth from a hot vit lon (an egg with a duck fetus inside)? If you haven’t, you definitely should because it is delicious! Even though some of you may think I’m completely nuts, I am not ashamed to say that this is one of my favorite snacks ever. I grew up eating it, and I bet some of you love this as much as I do!
Think of chex mixs, pretzels, and other finger foods that you frequently eat at gatherings. Now imagine you’re in Southeast Asia. Rather than a bags of chips, you’d probably be snacking on the highly appetizing hot vit lon!
Hot vit lon, more commonly known by its Phillipino name “balut”, is a fertilized egg with a nearly developed duck embryo inside. Considered an aphrodisiac and a delicacy, this cuisine is often eaten within the shell and served with beer. In Vietnam, it is sold at street vendors like hot dogs in NYC.
Hot vit lon is very nutritious. Each egg has about 190 calories and offer nutritional contents such as protein, B-carotene, calcium, etc. The eggs are often considered to have restorative effects.
The eggs are often hot when served. To eat them, I wrap a paper towel around the smaller, pointy end. Then I use a spoon to crack the broad of the egg and remove a part of the shell. I then break the membrane and suck up the brothy juice of the egg. I continue to devour the rest until it’s all gone.
I usually don’t need anything else to enjoy the egg. However, some people swear that the duck fetus cannot be enjoyed unless there is some rau ram (Vietnamese coriander leaves) and other vegetable garnish. I believe it is because rau ram has a bit of a spicy after taste which is supposed to provide heat to contrast the coldness of the egg: a bit of yin-yang theory in Asian cuisine. Additionally, there should be some chanh muoi tieu (a pinch of salt mixed with ground-up pepper and a dash of lemon juice). People sometimes drink beer with it also.