Pic of the Day . 5, 2. A cat wanders amid rubbles in the quake- hit town of Amatrice, central Italy, covered by a white blanket of snow.(AP)the- lonely- cat. Color invasion. Jan. Colorful sculptures seem to climb up a building at the harbor city in Duesseldorf, Germany.(AP)color- invasion. Tight squeeze. In this photo released by the Spanish Guardia Civil on Tuesday, Jan. Gabon is photographed in a suitcase, in Ceuta, Spain. A big yellow bird sculpture shines in the afternoon sun in a street in Essen, Germany.(AP)big- yellow- bird. Beach frenzy. Dec. Sea gulls fly at the beach of the Baltic Sea in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany.(AP)beach- frenzy. Thumbs up. Dec. 2. A Christian gives final touches to a mural of Santa Claus in preparation for Christmas celebrations in Karachi, Pakistan.(AP)thumbs- up. Art (and nature) display. Dec. 2. 1, 2. 01. Coldwater Duck Club home of Big Al's Place in Sledge, Mississippi.The best duck hunting club in Mississippi. Contact us for some of the best duck hunting in Mississippi. The installation . Moritz, Switzerland.(AP)art- (and- nature)- display. Exploring the outdoors. Dec. 2. 0, 2. 01. A Cheetah mother and three of her six cubs rest as they venture outside for the first time after their birth at Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, eastern Netherlands.(AP)exploring- the- outdoors. Teochew Braised Duck - Succulent duck that is slick with soy sauce and very tasty. This easy recipe will win the hearts of everyone at home. Valentine's Day 2016 M&S Dine in for Two and Tesco's Finest Meal Deal for £20. If you're staying in this Valentine's Day, then make the most of Marks and Spencer and. Duck Hole Farms is located eight miles west of Sledge, MS in a small community called Birdie, in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway. Our property is located in. Sudden attack. Dec. An unnamed gunman gestures after shooting the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, at a photo gallery in Ankara, Turkey.(AP)sudden- attack. Winter wonderland. Dec. 1. 5, 2. 01. People ice skate at the Grand Palais in Paris.(AP)winter- wonderland. Giant leap. Dec. 1. A deer runs in a snow covered field near the village of Karpavichi, some 3. Minsk.(AP)giant- leap. Love is in the air? Dec. 1. 2, 2. 01. Visitors take pictures under balloons on display to celebrate Christmas over the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea.(AP)love- is- in- the- air? Pope- approved. Dec. People with phones photograph the moment the Christmas Tree and nativity scene are lit up in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.(AP)pope- approved. Hazardous chemicals. Dec. 8, 2. 01. 6: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents destroy $6. Valenzuela city, Philippines.(AP)hazardous- chemicals. Operation. Dec. 7, 2. Britain's Prince Harry, right, plays the . Placed in a small coffin covered by a Cuban flag the ashes of Cuban leader Fidel Castro depart from the town of Santa Clara, Cuba.(AP)castro- memorial. Christmas season already? Nov. 2. 3, 2. 01. People enjoy the traditional Christmas Market after it was opened in Frankfurt, Germany.(AP)christmas- season- already? Protect the president! Nov. 1. 8, 2. 01. Security guarding Chinese President Xi Jinping run alongside the car transporting him, in Quito, Ecuador.(AP)protect- the- president! Sunset ride. Nov. A Palestinian man rides a horse on the beach as the sun sets over Gaza City.(AP)sunset- ride. Giant leap. Nov. 1. Fiete, a two year- old male polar bear from Rostock Zoo, jumps into the pool in his new enclosure at the Nyiregyhaza Zoo in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary.(AP)giant- leap. World shocked. Nov. A passerby takes copies of the Evening Standard, the local free newspaper for London.(AP)world- shocked. Look out below! Nov. A massive shinkhole in the middle of the business district in Fukuoka, southern Japan.(AP)look- out- below! Left behind. Nov. Dolls are left behind on the floor of a migrant makeshift camp in Paris. Police and city officials are clearing out hundreds of migrants camped out on sidewalks in northern Paris in a camp that recently grew into a new challenge for the French government.(AP)left- behind. Falling leaves. Nov. A public worker blows away leaves from a street in Frankfurt, Germany.(AP)falling- leaves. Mediterranean sunset. Nov. 2, 2. 01. 6: A Palestinian family eat corn as the sun sets on the beach of Gaza City.(AP)mediterranean- sunset. Incredible view. Nov. A woman enjoys the sun next to the Lac Bleu Lake near Evolene, Switzerland.(AP)incredible- view. Green dome. Oct. 2. The Thufa hill in Reykjavik, Iceland.(AP)green- dome. Migrant rescue. Oct. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) field coordinator Michele Telaro, top right, distributes lifejackets during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea. People light candles to pay tribute to the victims of an overnight attack on the Quetta Police Training Academy during a vigil in Lahore, Pakistan.(AP)deadly- attack. Where now? Oct. 2. An unidentified refugee carrying his luggage is one of thousands kicked out as workers clear a squalid camp known as . Ukrainian artillerists take part in command- and- staff exercises . A member of Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces pauses as they advance towards the city of Mosul, Iraq.(AP)be- afraid. Sweet treat. Oct. Pakistani vendors make ''gur,'' or jaggery - - a sweetener - - prepared from molasses of sugarcane in Peshawar, Pakistan.(AP)sweet- treat. Rays of sunlight. Oct. 1. 8, 2. 01. A stroller walks along linden trees during early morning mist at the Georgengarten in Hannover, northern Germany.(AP)rays- of- sunlight. Airstrikes rock Yemen. Oct. 1. 4, 2. 01. Fire and smoke rise after a Saudi- led airstrike hit a site believed to be one of the largest weapons depots on the outskirts of Yemen's capital, Sanaa.(AP)airstrikes- rock- yemen. Roll of the dice. Oct. 1. 3, 2. 01. All kind of dice are pictured during the opening of the international SPIEL game days in Essen, Germany.(AP)roll- of- the- dice. National Day celebrations. Oct. 1. 0, 2. 01. Dancers perform during the National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan.(AP)national- day- celebrations. Don't try this at home. Oct. 7, 2. 01. 6: Stunt drivers show their skills at the international motorcycle exhibition in Cologne, Germany.(AP)don't- try- this- at- home. Hurricane slams Cuba. Oct. 5, 2. 01. 6: A couple embrace standing among the debris of their home destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba.(AP)hurricane- slams- cuba. Winter is coming.. Oct. 4, 2. 01. 6: A squirrel carries a walnut in its mouth in Rotenburg, northern Germany.(AP)winter- is- coming.. Sea of umbrellas. Oct. 3, 2. 01. 6: A sea of umbrellas of women and men participating in a nationwide 'Black Monday' strike to protest a legislative proposal for a total ban on abortion, in downtown Castle Square is pictured in Warsaw, Poland.(AP)sea- of- umbrellas. Ride of the future. Sept. 3. 0, 2. 01. Children enjoy mechanical robot rides at a park in Beijing, China.(AP)ride- of- the- future. Fishing for trash? Sept. 2. 9, 2. 01. A man holds a fishing rod as floating trash hits the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon.(AP)fishing- for- trash? Saying goodbye. Sept. Members of the Knesset guard stand next to the Israeli flag at half- staff in preparations to display the coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, in Jerusalem.(AP)saying- goodbye. And many more! Sept. Silvia and Liciniu Agapi, a couple married for 5. Bucharest, Romania, celebrating hundreds of couples who have been married for at least half a century by handing out cash awards.(AP)and- many- more! Warm start to autumn. Sept. 2. 2, 2. 01. Two girls walk past a fountain on a square in Frankfurt, Germany.(AP)warm- start- to- autumn. Meeting once more. Sept. 1. 7, 2. 01. Rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) gather to discuss and vote on a peace accord reached with the Colombian government to end five decades of war. Historically secretive, this congress is the first one open to civilians.(AP)meeting- once- more. India festival. Sept. Devotees prepare to immerse an idol of elephant- headed Hindu god Ganesha in the Arabian Sea after worship marking the end of the 1. Ganesh Chaturti festival in Mumbai, India.(AP)india- festival. Tractor art. Sept. This aerial photo provided by artist Dario Gambarin shows a giant portrait of Hillary Clinton he ploughed out with his tractor on a field in Castagneto, near Verona, northern Italy.(AP)tractor- art. Crowded commute. Sept. People sit on top of trains as they head to their hometowns ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al- Adha, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.(AP)crowded- commute. Selfie time. Sept. A visitor takes a selfie with a camel during a circus performance at Bastille in Paris.(AP)selfie- time. Daring leap. Sept. A policeman from Pakistan's Military Police demonstrates his skills during a show to celebrate Pakistan Defense Day in Lahore, Pakistan.(AP)daring- leap. More than child's play. Sept. 2, 2. 01. 6: People look at a giant sand castle in Duisburg, Germany. The castle was made of 2. AP)more- than- child's- play. A closer look at the issue. Aug. 2. 5, 2. 01. An activist wears a mask outside the French embassy in London protesting the French crackdown on Muslim women wearing burqinis on the beach. A Mickey Mouse doll lies amidst the debris of a collapsed house following an earthquake in Amatrice, central Italy.(AP)italy- earthquake. Delivery of the future. Aug. 2. 3, 2. 01. New self driving robots for the delivery service of the Swiss Post are presented in Bern.(AP)delivery- of- the- future. Emotional testimony. Aug. 2. 2, 2. 01. A pregnant witness, the live- in partner of JP Bertes, an alleged drug- pusher who was killed while in police custody, tearfully recounts their ordeal as she testifies before the Philippine Senate investigating extrajudicial killings related to President Rodrigo Duterte's . Female white lion Ivanna yawns on a hot sunny day in a private zoo in the village of Demydiv, Ukraine. Most white lions live in captivity, as the rare color mutation is widely believed to make it difficult for white lions to survive in the wild.(AP)relax,- it's- sunday. Crowd scene. Aug. People gather on a pulic beach in Bournemouth, England, enjoying the typical English warm weather.(AP)crowd- scene. Protesting attacks targeting Christians. Aug. 1. 3, 2. 01. An Egyptian woman holds a sign in Arabic that reads, . A zookeeper Aleksandar Rakocevic feeds Muja the alligator in Belgrade Zoo, in Belgrade Serbia.(AP)feeding- time. A watchful eye. Aug. White tigress Cleopatra pets one of three newly born tiger cubs in Tbilisi Zoo, Georgia.(AP)a- watchful- eye. High divers. Aug. Balut, the terrifying hard- boiled duck fetus that’s also a tasty aphrodisiac. In Acquired Tastes,The A. V. Club explores the food and drinks we can’t live without. Every culture has a culinary specialty that raises the eyebrows—if not the gorges—of people from other cultures. Scots have haggis. Swedes have surstr. Filipinos have balut, a hard- boiled duck egg. It sounds innocent enough, until you find out the egg is fertilized and allowed to develop from 1. By this point, the embryo will have become distinctly ducklike, sometimes complete with body parts like eyes, beaks, and feathers. You are essentially eating a duck fetus in utero. Other Southeast Asians like the Vietnamese or the Thais have their own versions of balut, and there is strong supporting evidence that the ancestor of the balut comes from China. But the Filipino version reigns supreme in international awareness, thanks (or not) to shows like Fear Factor that serve it up as a challenge to be choked down. It’s unfortunate that balut has been relegated to the “exotic adventure” category, because it’s genuinely delicious. Once you’ve cracked the egg and peeled a bit of the top off, you’ll encounter a clear broth so savory that there are people who only drink that and leave the rest of the egg. But if you’re game to move on, you can add a little salt or vinegar and drain the soup before proceeding. Some people peel and bite in increments to avoid actually seeing the embryo, while others just peel off most of the shell and eat the balut in one or two bites. Whatever your approach, you should always leave the albumen—the white part of the egg—behind, as it has the flavor and texture of a pencil eraser. Many people afraid to try balut don’t want to feel like they’re chewing on a duckling. But really, the thought of balut is more repulsive than the balut itself. In fact, the experience of eating balut is quite pleasant. A good balut yolk has a soft texture not unlike cream cheese. It’s not as sulfurous as regular hard- boiled chicken eggs. A good balut, including the embryo, is milder in flavor, and there’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to the embryo’s texture. You’re not crunching through bones—it’s tender and dissolves in your mouth, almost like a mousse. While not everyone eats balut in the Philippines, it’s a common street food item, and balut vendors can be easily found at transportation hubs, wet markets, and entertainment districts in Manila. Most Filipinos are also familiar with the sight of hardworking vendors with their baskets full of eggs, walking around residential areas from dusk to early morning calling out, “Balut!” Balut is traditionally seen as a post- sundown snack, with the joke being it’s easier to avoid looking at the embryo in the dark. But there are a few other possible reasons why balut consumption increases at night. It’s considered highly nutritious, a mini- meal that creates a lot of heat and energy in the body. Hence, not only is balut enjoyed as a filling snack during drinking sessions, it’s also developed a reputation as an aphrodisiac, with claims that it stiffens the knees (among other things). A typical red- light district is sure to include at least a few balut vendors alongside other services offered. At a jeepney terminal near the University Of The Philippines Diliman, the eponymous Ms. Lisa’s Balut, a balut vendor who’s occupied the same spot for over 1. Lisa says most of her customers are either students getting ready to hunker down for a night of studying or laborers fortifying themselves for the long commute home through Manila’s congested roads. As we spoke, a dozen male customers dropped by her stall to eat a balut on the spot, seasoning them with salt or Ms. Lisa’s homemade vinegar- and- chili blend. Lisa notes a high percentage of balut customers are men, though she says a few pregnant women consume balut, believing it’ll help them stay healthy throughout their pregnancy. Many street vendors buy balut from larger businesses in the municipality of Pateros, where balut has been produced for hundreds of years. Pateros, named after the duck industry (“pato” being the Spanish word for “duck”), used to be crowded with duck farms, but pollution has since destroyed many of the ducks’ natural food sources. Balut producers in Pateros now often source their raw eggs from other places like Bulacan province, home to many industrial farms. This has resulted in a heavier- tasting balut that has a meaty smell (which may explain the necessity of adding vinegar and chilies). Organic balut, such as ones sold at the upscale mall purveyor Green Babes, come from farms whose ducks still live on snails and aren’t given commercial feed. Compared to street balut, the eggs are distinctly larger, with more broth inside. The yolk is lighter in color and creamier, and the balut has a cleaner, more delicate taste, needing little more than a pinch of salt to bring out its flavor. Some of Green Babes’ customers have taken to enhancing their balut by incorporating it in stews and pastries, with caterers offering it as a special dish. Balut has long been seen as a working- class snack, but could it be on the path of gentrification like other street foods such as kwek- kwek (quail eggs) or isaw (pork intestines)? Maybe, though there is one big hurdle: balut’s exceedingly short shelf life.“Balut is generally going to be cooked on the day that it’s going to be sold and eaten,” said Tracey Paska, a Manila freelance writer who covers local food and culture. It has a lot to do with the eggshells being very porous, and the sauce . You really have to eat balut right then and there.”Paska isn’t too optimistic about balut’s potential for gentrification, pointing out that balut is repulsive even to some Filipinos, seeing as it’s “readily identifiable as a dead animal. The head, the eyes, everything is still there, and you compound it with the idea that it’s a baby. There’s a ton of guilt going into eating balut.” She believes that it’s never going to enter the mainstream unless it’s “presented as food, rather than as a dare.”But if being hidden away in a pie is the consequence of gentrification, perhaps balut is better off without that mainstream acceptance. Modern life has distanced us from the bloodiness of food production, with our animal parts chopped and cleaned and delivered in neat, shrink- wrapped packages. To eat balut is to confront death, one that hasn’t been prettied up for our delicate sensibilities. The mental discomfort of eating balut is a bigger barrier to overcome than its actual, rather pleasurable physical sensation and taste. So it’s unfortunate that balut is frequently found on lists of bizarre foods; what’s truly bizarre is how difficult it is for us to deal with being reminded of what we’re actually eating.
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