A taste of exotic egg embryo, anyone?

As dusk sets in, most of the city streets are transformed into a hectic activity, where peddling of goods and other food items are sold by enterprising mortals for survival. Lit by a kerosene lamp beside her basketful of balut eggs, the female vendor sits, hugging her knees to her breast to at least to warm her body from the night's coldness and oblivious of the risks that might occur.

From time to time, passers-by, some drunks and some are ordinary workers who just wanted to add more energy to their tired bodies, do drop by to buy one, two or three pieces, depending on how greedy the buyer might be. The vendor looks up with a welcome smile and readily unfurls the thick, white cloth that is used to cover the eggs and to preserve the heat inside the basket. Then she carefully picks the egg that is good for the unsuspecting customer, who makes sure that it contains more yolk , aside from the chick embryo inside its shell. After the customer pays for a piece of egg, he immediately breaks its shell and sips its warm liquid for more nourishment to the body.

As always, this is the case. But more than this, selling of "balut" egg has become a source of livelihood for the unschooled and for those who merely wanted to earn extra income. Everyday is a drudgery, from dusk till dawn, generating an income that is barely enough to buy them food. Although, Westerners look at it as a spoiled delicacy never seen elsewhere in the world. But an duck's egg embryo is a favorite food of average income Filipinos, whose penchant for this exotic delicacy have not slackened in years. But mind you, professionals are slowly smitten by this delicacy, too.

In fact, the balut industry has contributed a lot to enhancing the country's "livestock revolution", a program that is expected to bring brighter prospects for the poor. In the Philippines, for more than two decades since the 80s, poultry contributions to agriculture and per capita utilization has been steadily growing. The duck industry, for one, has been a great contributor. In fact, volume of production of duck eggs in 2001 was up again 0.84 percent, compared to its 2000 figures. But demands will continue to grow, particularly in the developing countries.

This, according to development analyst, is a livestock revolution that holds promise for relieving widespread micronutrient and protein malnutrition while intensifying smallhold agriculture, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reported. From 1991 to 2000, for instance, volume of duck eggs grew from 33,456 to 53,631 tons during the same period. As duck raising is a lucrative business in the Philippines, it has therefore been an important source of income to the farmers, especially those living near bodies of water. Ducks are usually raised for their eggs, which are made into an egg embryo (16 to 18-day-old eggs).

It added that a 1000-head layer duck production module is capable of generating a return-on-investment (ROI) of 20 percent and 47 percent for the first and second year, respectively. Besides bringing in the needed nutrition and cash to resource poor farmers and enterprising businessmen, the "powerful duck" also help rid ricefields of the eggs of golden apple snail, a pest that is causing damage to the ricefields. Ducks also feed on the snail itself, which serve as intermediate host for larval stages of the parasite causing fasciolosis to buffaloes, cattle, and goats.

By allowing 4 to 5-month-old ducks to graze on rice 35-40 days after planting, at a stocking rate of 800-1000 ducks per hectare, farmers not only eliminate the snail but also minimize weed formation. As ducks trample and feed on them, savings on weeding are realized while taking advantage of rice leftovers after harvest. And with their fecal droppings all over the field, soil fertility is improved.

In some Asian countries and in some swine farms in the country, ducks are also used to aerate stagnant water in lagoons and canals where waste materials flow. By allowing the ducks to wade in them, the stagnant water is disturbed, allowing oxygen to penetrate and dissolve. Considering that the country has the needed breeds to make a profitable enterprise, the duck industry therefore has enough chance to make the livestock revolution work for the poor.

The Philippine Mallard duck and the Muscovy duck are popular breeds raised for egg and meat, respectively. The country earlier produced the Laguna duck, another meat-type duck produced from a three-way cross among the Peking drake, the Philippine Mallard and the Muscovy drake, a similar breed to the Taiwan mule duck. It has an average feed efficiency of 3.20 and offers better quality meat.

Furthermore, the duck industry has a competitive advantage over other poultry industries. Ducks require little attention and thrive well on almost all kinds of environmental conditions. They are also highly resistant against common avian diseases. Unlike chicken, they have a longer life span. It is easy to see that indeed the duck is a powerful and versatile animal, potent enough to be relied upon to sustain its role in the livestock revolution, the DOST said.

Cooking the Duck egg embryo

Cooking a duck egg embryo is simple. Depending on the number of egg embryo that you're going to boil, try to estimate the volume of water that you're going to fill in the kettle. But you must see to it that the embryo eggs are submerged properly. As much as possible, boil the embryo eggs for at least an hour before they are eaten. Mind you, it is always more delicious to eat the newly cooked duck egg embryo when it is still hot. Crack it open and suck the salty juice from inside the egg before eating it.