AsiaLIFE

Cheng Chan Sok, a 45-year-old housewife and Phnom Penh resident, who has been eating baluts since she was young, eats one or two every day. Many other Cambodians share her taste. Chan Sok says that in the past, many Cambodians liked eating baby ducks. “I like eating these eggs a lot because they’re delicious and of course it provides me with energy,” says a customer who usually comes out to eat with his girlfriend during the evening walkabout. Many believe that foetus eggs are a source of energy. This is the reason why a lot of Cambodians eat them after a hard day’s work. Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, baluts are mostly sold by street vendors at night.

But is this food for western tourists or expats? “A foreigner might be afraid to try this kind of local snack, but it is quite normal for locals who usually have some eggs as an evening snack,” says Sar Chandara.

However, expat Geoffrey Cain recommends that westerners try this Cambodian favourite. “I think they're loaded with taste, unlike American eggs which are watered down and soggy,” he says. “You have to live here for a while to savour that taste.” Although he does admit that “it's an acquired taste.”

Usually the baluts are boiled in hot water or in oil and eaten with pepper, salt and slices of lime or sweet-sour chilli sauce with garlic, according to Kim Tin, a food storeowner, who sells around 1,000 baluts every day. The ages of the eggs range from 17 days (small), 19 to 20 days (medium) and 20 to 23 days (large). “Most people like to eat the middle-aged egg,” he says.

If you want to try out this dish there is a row of small stores along Sothearos Boulevard, near Pannasastra University. Or you could always visit Kim Tin's store right in front of Orussey Market.