Bretman Rock teaches TikTok how to eat balut aka ‘a duck…dead, of course’

Bretman Rock recently taught the internet how to eat balut in a TikTok video that went viral last week.

About the video: The social media personality introduced the video from July 9 by saying that balut is one of his favorite Filipino streets foods and one of his mom’s cravings when she was pregnant with him.

Balut is a fertilized duck egg considered a popular delicacy in many regions of Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, NextShark previously wrote.
While there are many ways to prepare it, the Manila Bulletin described the “most humble version” as boiled with a dash of salt or splash of vinegar with chili.
“Tiktok if you take this down Bc yt ppl can’t comprehend foreign food.. then u a btch [sic],” Rock wrote in the video’s caption.
The video went viral, with about 9.9 million views, 2.3 million likes, 20,600 comments and 13,100 shares as of this writing.

Bretman’s balut: Rock explained that the dish is a fertilized duck egg that you boil when it’s about to hatch.

He also shared a tip he learned from his dad on how to tell the difference between female and male eggs by their shape.
“So what’s in here is a duck … dead, of course,” Rock said, holding up the eggs.
He showed users how to drink the soup after cracking it open, before finishing off the rest. He used salt to season it, explaining that he didn’t have the spicy vinegar he’d normally use.

Reactions: The comment section of Rock’s video was filled with overflowing support of the Filipino delicacy. Many users stated that balut was “the best” and that they were glad that he was eating one of their favorite foods.

Some people commented that eating the dish was “cruel,” that they “felt bad for the duck” and encouraged everyone to become vegan.
Several people responded to the negative comments stating that one’s culture and foods should be respected, regardless of whether or not it looks appealing.
Other users also wrote that while they haven’t tried balut, watching Rock’s video “intrigued” them and made them want to “try it now.”

Balut is one of several Asian cuisines that became a topic of controversy after a petition to remove James Corden’s “Spill Your Guts” segment made headlines last month. Many were offended that the segment portrayed foods like balut, century eggs and chicken feet as “disgusting” and “horrifying.”

Featured Image via Bretman Rock

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