Balut in Boston?

[jamie2dope]

I am a Medford resident, and was wondering if anyone knows of places to find Balut in this general area. I've been watching Bizarre Foods w/Andrew Zimmern, and after having seen him eat it, I had to try it (as nasty as it might look and sound). I tried my local Super 88, but everyone I asked didn't really seem to know what I was talking about. Anyway, any suggestions?

[jamie2dope]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. No luck yet. I have been to the Super 88s in Malden and Dorchester, as well as Kam Man. They knew what I was talking about at the dot location, but said they didn't carry them. Kam Man......well I gotta be honest, I am a little scared to go back. My buddy and I saw a small package of duck eggs with a few eggs cracked. When we investigated further, we discovered that some of these cracked eggs were filled with maggots (yum). I was tempted to get some goat meat and fresh fish, but at that point I was a bit turned off. Anyone have the scoop on the oysters they have there? Those things looked a hell of a lot bigger than any oyster I have ever shucked. Anyway, maybe I will go back on a Saturday morning. Any reason why they have them at that specific time?

[noodlely]

We buy them at the asian market in downtown lynn next to mittheap. They don't always have them. I usually ask for "baby duck/chicken in the egg" and they know what I mean. We also see them at super 88 in malden on rare occasions, kam man in quincy most always has them on saturday mornings. just a tip.. I find the chicken ones a little more palatable and chewier. The duck ones make me cringe when I hit the beak or foot... blah.

[kobuta]

You can find them at the larger chinatown markets, but they are not always available. I usually see these as one of those items with a hand-written sign added to the aisles. Balut is not a Chinese term so I'm not surprised if most of the workers have no idea what you're referring to. You might try asking for it in cantonese - "ngaap jai daan" (literally means "little duck egg")

[esqdork]

I saw baluts at Kam Man in Quincy the last time I was there. There were a couple of teeneagres buying them to scare their pals at school.

[openonymous]

Balut is the filipino name for this duck egg delicacy

[openonymous]

Yes there are balut in the Boston area, 2 kinds in fact. The duck egg balut and the chicken egg balut, I used to buy it at 88 in Boston and Quincy and the Lowell area cambodian groceries sell them too, I have not checked the prices lately but a couple of months back, the Chicken balut was 3 for a $1. and the duck egg balut is $0.75 each. One can buy it by the dozen or or singly or by 24 egg cartons. But you have to boil it yourself, I usually boil it for half an hour, let it cool down to lukewarm, crack one side, open it up , sprinkle some salt, slurp the juice, crack the egg shell and take out the fowl embryo and eat it!
yum Yum,
I do not know what the Vietnamese name or cambodian name or laotian name for the balut, but it is there!
I asked before who supplies it here in the boston area, and was told that it was a jewish farmer in New jersey.

[StriperGuy]

Huh, I stand corrected. Balut party at my place ;-).

[openonymous]

just wanted to mention that in the Manila area, balut has become a fashionable food, I mean they make in into tempura, savory balut cakes, and even balut pates

[deglazer]

I've seen it at Ming's as well, tho haven't looked recently.

[steinpilz]

openonymous mentioned a place in a previous thread about duck eggs:

"lowell's cambodian groceries carries duck eggs, quail eggs, chicken eggs, even duck or chicken eggs with embryo (balut)."

[Sam Fujisaka]

Just a note: unlike a boiled egg, balut is best eaten warm or hot.

[StriperGuy]

Any place we can find live sago grubs and toasted tarantulas...?

Balut is not easy to find even in a town with lot's of Philipino food and Boston ain't it. Course you could make your own. Track down someone with ducks...

If you are really trying to give challenging foods a whirl here in Boston I would go for:

- Stinky tofu (various locals)
- Fermented bambu salad (Dok Bua)
- 1,000 year old eggs (various)
- various pig-parts dishes: tripe, blood, ear, etc.
- Beef tendon
- Duck webs
- Goose intestines (Peach farm)
- I bet Mittheap in Lynn might have some more challenging dishes...

Heck be great if others chime in with challenging foods they know of here in greater beantown.

[Prav]

Grasshoppers at Tú Y Yo in Somerville.

[trymonlam]

1000 year old eggs can be gotten at any chinese grocery place, along with the pig parts and beef tendon.
duck webs and goose intestine can be found in chinese barbeque places, such as hong kong eatery in chinatown.