UPDATED October 14,2019
Over four years ago I wrote about balut. Is it safe to eat balut eggs during pregnancy? My wife told me the female offspring would likely have hairy legs if the mother consumed balut during her pregnancy. Hence, I decided to finally do an update and discover if balut is actually good for pregnant women. The overwhelming consensus is yes, balut is safe for pregnant women to eat.
If You’re Pregnant in the Philippines, Don’t Eat Balut?
Furthermore, balut is also considered an aphrodisiac. It could help boost a male’s favorite “tool.”
Let’s lead off with what an actual physician says about balut and pregnancy, Dr. Barbara Jane Papa, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Perpetual Help Medical Center in Las Pinas, Metro Manila.
The question over at SmartParenting.ph was this:
Is it safe to eat balut while pregnant? YES!
Balut is cooked egg with meat (chick), so yes, it is safe to eat, says Dr. Papa.
Many pregnant women eat balut eggs believing that they encourage a healthy pregnancy.
Nutritional Value of Balut
Balut eggs are an inexpensive and easily obtained source of protein throughout the Philippines. They’re jam-packed with vitamin C and beta carotene. These powerful antioxidants help clean free radicals from your bloodstream and support your immune system.
According to popular Vietnamese belief, these eggs are a nutritious and restorative food for pregnant or delivering women.
Who cares if they could give your daughter hairy legs. Just buy her a Gillette Venus Spa Razor once she gets older.
image courtesy of lazada.com
Balut, a Favorite Aphrodisiac of Filipino Men
According to the TakeOut.com balut has developed a reputation as an aphrodisiac among Filipino men, with claims that it stiffens the knees (among other things.) The “Take Out” article also noted that pregnant women consume balut, believing it’ll help them stay healthy throughout their pregnancy.
Furthermore, the BabyCenter.com also notes that Filipino men trust in balut’s alleged aphrodisiac properties.
The Baby Center article goes on to say that pregnancy and giving birth are, of course, strenuous on a woman’s body. She has to eat nutritious and energy-laden foods. Balut is not only safe during pregnancy, it can also be considered a health food as it is loaded with muscle-building and brain-forming protein.
Hairy Legs. Superstition or Fact?
Finally, let me close this update with the following information from the StuartExchange.com:
“A balut superstition. An excessive craving for balut during pregnancy might result in a child born with abnormal patches of hair hirsutism (balbon) later in life.”
Fact or fiction? My wife says it’s a fact. Check out the original article along with pictures of my niece Michelle’s hairy legs:
If you’re pregnant in the Philippines, don’t eat balut. Balut is a developing duck embryo (fertilized duck egg) that is boiled and eaten in the shell. I’ve choked down this Filipino delicacy on a few occasions (see following photo) and I have to admit, I’ve only done so after I’ve quaffed a bottle of Red Horse (or two.) Aside from the chick embryo, it tastes like a boiled egg, but it is not one of my favorite foods in the archipelago.
However, balut is extremely popular with many of the locals despite the side effects it can cause for the offspring of pregnant women. Case in point, our niece Michelle.
Michelle was fast asleep when I took the following photographs during a recent outing at Raymen Beach. Note her hairy legs. What caused this? Her mother, Emily, ate balut when she was pregnant.
This, according to my beloved asawa, after I remarked how hairy our niece’s legs are.
Check out this close-up. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of my spouse’s story because if I’ve learned anything after over 15 years of marriage is this: never question her. It makes my life so much simpler. You married guys out there know what I’m talking about.
I can’t even get away with sarcastic remarks anymore that went over my wife’s head. After only a couple years of marriage, she caught on to my smart ass ways and I felt compelled to discontinue my sarcasm (for the most part.)
You might wonder why it took my asawa two years to catch on. The language barrier was on my side for awhile. She wasn’t aware of the various slang words that we use in the States.
So if you are pregnant and already know that your upcoming bundle of joy will be a Filipina, don’t eat balut. But if it doesn’t bother you that the child will have hairy legs in the future, eat all the balut you want to your heart’s content and hope that her future spouse loves hairy women.
I must say first congratulations for you being able to choke down a balut . There are somethings that even
San Miguel couldn’t do for me. but next time someone offers me a balut i’m going to just tell them i’m pregnant I always new a little beer gut would come in handy LOL>>>>
but I have been known to purchase them for my asawa family but they would only eat them in the dark guess they didn’t want to see it.
Dave, what is the name of the pig’s face dish? Is that sisig?
I love sisig. They told me it was made from pig ear, but whatever it was it went great with cold beer 🙂
Dave,
Hairy legs caused by balut? I still laugh at some of Annes superstitions. But slowly coming around that you can’t win you just have to go with the flow.
I also follow the rules of the “cool down” period. Also, during this time I’m required to put on a dry shirt and if it’s a particularly hot day and I’m sweating from head to toe, dry underwear. Like most of the others here, expiration dates are to be strictly observed.
Here’s another one. Went to my cousins funeral several months ago and the wife refused to view the body. When I asked why, it was because there was no glass covering between the body and her. Didn’t pursue any further explanations as I’ve also learned to keep my mouth shut.
Steve
Hi Dave heard the one about not having a bath or shower for a week after giving birth
The wife told me about that one,I said the woman might smell a bit lol , last week
While waiting for my wife outside the supermarket i watched 2 pretty girls with nice
Uniforms just finished work I think run straight to the balut vendor next to me and
Gulp down 2 baluts each,they asked me if I want to try one I said only after I
Drink a gallon of red horse, we all had a good laugh Derek in pasig
hey now, I remember 2 occasions when we were hangin out that you ate balut after only 1 redhorse. In my opinion balut causes some of the worst bad breath even after brushing and gargling with mouthwash as the smell comes up from the depths of the stomach, don’t mention this to Zet as I already did hahaha.
Like PapaDuck said, I also just nod and agree now with some of my wives strange beliefs, it makes life a lot easier I am learning also.
One of my wives beliefs is about expiration dates on food. If it says it expires on 12-1-15 or whatever the date, then it will go in the trash the next day. Its ok if its eaten the day before it expires but it will kill you if eaten the day after the expiration date, and I cant even begin to explain to her the best if used by date, vs an expiration date. I told her I am going to bring a large gun safe there with me, just to keep all the foods I like that I will also be bringing ample supplies of, just so she cant have access to them and throw them away each day as they expire. Many foods will last a long time after there expiration date but I cant convince her of that.
She finally said, I can eat anything I want as old as I want, but as soon as I get there I must go to a lawyer and have something drawn-up saying that she will not be responsible if I eat something and it kills me, cause she dosent want the neighbors thinking that she poisoned me, gotta save face some way I guess.
I get the same food expiration date response from my wife here in the US. What’s interesting is that she works in a grocery store and should know that the “sell by date” does not mean something has gone bad.