Balut is the Filipino street-food snack consisting of a whole fertilized duck egg that is boiled and eaten from its shell.
The egg is incubated until the embryo has developed, then boiled and served warm. People commonly crack the shell at the wider end, sip the broth inside, and eat the contents with salt, vinegar, or chili. Vendors often sell balut in the evening, when the eggs are still hot.
Balut is especially associated with the Philippines, where it is a familiar snack and a symbol of local food culture. Incubation length varies, so the embryo’s texture and development differ between batches and markets.
Balut is not the same as penoy. Penoy is an unfertilized or undeveloped duck egg prepared in a similar way. Tokneneng and kwek-kwek are different Filipino snacks made from battered boiled eggs, usually chicken or quail eggs.