A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.
Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines. They are common, everyday food in countries in Southeast Asia, such as Laos(where it is called kai luk - ໄຂ່ລູກ), Thailand (khai khao - ไข่ข้าว in Thai), Cambodia (pong tea khonពងទាកូន in Cambodian)[1] and Vietnam (trứng vịt lộn or hột vịt lộn in Vietnamese). They are often served with beer.
The Filipino and Malay word balut (balot) means "wrapped" – depending on pronunciation.