Title

The Incredible, Edible Balut: Ethnographic Perspectives On The Philippines' Favorite Liminal Food

Keywords

Cultural identity; Philippines; Street food

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. © Association for the Study of Food and Society 2013.

Publication Date

6-1-2013

Publication Title

Food, Culture and Society

Volume

16

Issue

3

Number of Pages

387-404

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.2752/175174413X13673466711723

Socpus ID

84882943177 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84882943177

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