Abstract
This paper provides a critical food analysis of balut. These popular Filipino street snacks comprised of partially incubated duck eggs with a decidedly liminal character have become increasingly familiar to Westerners over recent years thanks to their most sensationalized depictions in various genres of popular culture. A number of pertinent examples from Western reality television, independent film, post-grunge alternative rock, international prizefighting, and myriad foodie/gastroporn websites, as well as my own ethnographic experience in the Philippines dating back to the mid-1990s, highlight balut's symbolic value both in the construction of identity for native Filipinos and as a rite of passage for others.
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