Hi, Renxkyoko Iglesias here.
I just put my email folder on sweep- to- zero mode once a day, at exactly 12 midnight. I just don’t have time to read blogs anymore. At most , I can read 20 a day, and that’s it. I work from 12:30 PM to 9 PM, sometimes beyond that, and that’s okay because I get paid double an hour. I once called myself the Goddess of Insomnia. Cassie, my blog buddy, can attest to that. It’d be 6 AM at Harrisburg, and 3 AM here in California, but we always got to chat at that unholy hour, and that was almost everyday. Three hours of sleep was enough for me. But then, real time in my real life has abruptly changed my biological ‘clock. Nowadays, I can barely open my eyes at 10 PM. Drinking a cup of strong coffee doesn’t work on me anymore. To make the story short, I’m sorry if I don’t get to read your posts . I try to catch up on my off days ( Tuesday and Saturday, or any scheduled days in a week…. they vary ) .
With that off my chest…….
I promised I’d talk about a Filipino delicacy called Balut and chocolate rice called Champorado.
Balut is a delicacy in the Philippines. According to Wiki, it is a partially fertilized duck embryo, incubated for 14 to 21 days , boiled or steamed , and eaten from the shell, like hard boiled egg. It does taste like hard – boiled egg, except that, we get to see the duck embryo , the beak, eyes, etc. I know, it’s gross. My Mom and I had eaten it once when we were there in 2014, out of curiosity. My dad said he had eaten it maybe 6 times, and only when he was drunk. ^_^ Balut eggs are usually sold at night, and I can understand why. But, contrary to what is bandied around , i.e., that it is a Filipino staple food……. well, it isn’t. Only few Filipinos like to eat balut, (usually the menfolks), and they are actually hard to find. The only source of this delicacy is a place near Manila (the capital city ) called Pateros ( I assume from the Filipino term for duck, which is ” pato” , and pateros means duck raisers. ) Balut became infamous when it was used as a scary thing on the TV show Fear Factor. I’m a bit annoyed at that. I mean, the contestants dealt with snakes, cockroaches, etc, and then , balut was lumped together with these agrhcjkf ! ( I have snake phobia, and I’m not saying this lightly ) . I mean, really ????? Balut is that scary ? * Help me out here, Andy ! ! ! * Andy is another blogger who visited the Philippines 2 months ago, and had eaten lots of baluts , and liked them , too. * Tell them, Andy. * It just tastes like hard-boiled egg, but with natural broth inside. Okay, the problem is , I don’t like to eat it, either. The sensation of eating a duck fetus kind of grosses me out. I salute you, Andy.
Oy ! ! ” runs off ”
About Champorado…….
It’s just rice cooked with chocolate. It’s a very hearty Philippine snack, and breakfast food. Hey, what can go wrong with chocolate, yeah ? Have you eaten chocolate rice cereals ? Champorado tastes something like chocolate rice cereals with milk. I eat this at breakfast , like , 3x a week.
I’ll just give you the recipe. Guys, try this, specially at winter time. Hot champorado is delicious, and so easy to make ! !
You can use sweet sticky rice ( or if not available, regular rice ). Cook the rice normally. Water is added , and amount depends on how you like the champorado, very liquidy or a bit thick. Normal water/rice proportion is 1 is to 1, right ? In Champorado, add about 4 or 5 cups of water, boil , them simmer, then , when the rice is almost cooked, add cocoa powder ( Nestle or whatever …… in the Philippines, pure , unprocessed cocoa they call tablea, which is in solid form , is very much preferred ), then cook some more while stirring. Then add sugar, to taste. Or, you can add sugar in your bowl. Note : Never add sugar before the rice is fully cooked. In your bowl of champorado, add sugar to taste and MILK ! ! ! ( Evaporated milk is preferred, or Half and Half ) Kids will like this, I hope.
Pure, unprocessed cocoa in the Philippines is called tablea . I saw this product at the Filipino store …….expensive , so Nestle is fine. But this tablea is the preferred chocolate for Filipino traditional hot chocolate beverage drink………. superior taste than regular hot chocolate drink. I had this in the Philippines… it is thick, and has that smoky flavor, and Filipinos in olden times drink this with churros, or pan de sal ( like mini French bread ,which is dunked into the hot cocoa drink..)
800 words……. This is all for now. Thank you for reading.
Check out my anime/manga/video games blogsite at http://2megaworthitwordpresscomblog.wordpress.com/
Am a Molecular Microbiology student, love to read books, and I play the violin. 
dreamsending
renxkyoko
renxkyoko's space 
Posted by nkdwhtguy on June 9, 2017 at 4:58 am
I had balut once in the Philippines as part of a Chief Petty Officer initiation(hazing). Not for me!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 5:23 am
Ha ha ! Eating balut is part of hazing ? LOL
Yep, not for me , either. The sensation of the embryo in my mouth is just….. When I had one, I closed my eyes, and ate it in one go, then drank Coke. Oh, man.
To be honest, the taste is not bad. Really.
Posted by raistlin0903 on June 9, 2017 at 5:05 am
I don’t think that Balut will be on the menu at Animecon today, but who knows Champorado might be 😊 I’ve never heard of these before, but that’s the cool thing about blogging, you learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing these 😀
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 5:28 am
I heard Philippine restaurants here in the US are now offering this delicacy for the curious, mainly. It’s not in the menu in any restaurants in the Philippines.
Posted by Mel & Suan on June 9, 2017 at 5:11 am
omg. We cannot bring ourselves to try Balut!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 5:30 am
LOL ! I closed my eyes when I ate it…. in one go. I barely chewed it….. the sensation in my mouth is …… aaaargh.
Posted by Mel & Suan on June 9, 2017 at 6:15 am
But is the beak formed yet and if so, is it hard?
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 6:30 am
Actually, the * cough * embryo is very soft…… with the beak and all. And , to be fair, it actually tastes good. I mean, its just hard boiled egg, ha ha ha Aesthetically, though………
Try it…. ^_____^ “
Posted by Mel & Suan on June 9, 2017 at 6:42 am
Oh it will be a psychological barrier!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 7:06 am
I think balut is a hang-over delicacy. When men get together for a drink, someone will bring balut, according to my father. But not always, of course. Balut is actually hard to find. Its not sold in groceries. They have to look for the ambulant vendor who sells balut at night, maybe at a corner street.
Just like that Blood soup, dinuguan, you have to be psychologically prepared to eat it. Haha !
Posted by kira0130 on June 9, 2017 at 6:27 am
I like the soup inside the balut but the not the embryo part.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 6:33 am
You nailed it ! ! The liquid inside is delicious ! And the yolk, too. Ugh… that embryo is the problem…. It’s not the taste of the embryo, but the feeling in my mouth….
Posted by kira0130 on June 9, 2017 at 6:49 am
Yup, i’ve tried it a few times but i don’t eat the embryo. Have you tried penoy? It’s also sold here along with balut.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 6:56 am
What’s penoy ? Is it an egg ?
Posted by kira0130 on June 9, 2017 at 7:09 am
Yup, it’s an egg but it’s more like hard boiled egg with the yolk only.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 7:24 am
Eh ? So, what happens to the white? isn’t that part of an egg ?
Posted by kira0130 on June 9, 2017 at 7:28 am
No, it just looks like it. But i dont really know how that happened. Haha
Posted by disperser on June 9, 2017 at 7:08 am
No apologies needed regarding reading blogs . . . life first, then blogs.
As for the delicacies . . . you and I have a different understanding of the meaning of the word “delicacy.”
I will not be trying any hard-boiled embryos anytime soon.
As for the rice dish . . . I lost my taste for sweetened cooked rice in my youth when it too often was a meal (rice cooked in milk and sweetened, more toward soup than risotto). I like rice well enough, but not sweetened.
My favorite rice dish is mushroom or vegetable risotto . . . no, wait . . . it’s a tie with risotto con ossibuchi.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 7:22 am
The sweetened rice soup is rice gruel, usually given to kids when they’re sick… no sugar is added, just a bit of salt. Or, chicken soup, cooked with rice.
Ha ha…. the word delicacy doesn’t apply to balut, that’s for sure. He he Good one, disperser !
Posted by The Otaku Judge on June 9, 2017 at 7:33 am
I can relate to the struggles of keeping up with blogs. My job recently changed so I finish work at 6pm. By the time I do shopping, get home and eat I only have a few hours free before bedtime. Needless to say my inbox get clogged with notifications 😦
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 9:51 am
I get home at 9: 15 PM. After eating and doing my nightly routine, I try reading a few blogs, but I can’t go past 11 PM. Although, believe it or not, its now 3 AM right now. I guess 2 cups of strong black coffee worked tonight.
Posted by arlene on June 9, 2017 at 8:03 am
Champorado…hot cocoa, malagkit rice and coconut cream…yummy!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 9:45 am
I love champorado . It’s really yummy. I cook a lot of it , good for at least 3 breakfasts. I use ordinary rice, Tita…… glutinous rice is too heavy in my stomach.
Posted by arlene on June 9, 2017 at 11:13 am
But the consistency of glutinous rice is better.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 2:59 pm
I know ! By the way, I drown champorado in milk, ha ha ha. I use the tasteless gallon milk coz most of time , we’re out of evaporated milk or Half and Half.
Posted by arlene on June 10, 2017 at 1:11 am
I don’t like milk so I use coco cream.
Posted by ken riddles on June 9, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Not particularly into food making – but did appreciate your honesty in your opening remarks about blogging. We can only do what we can do. Have a nice day – and a nice sleep!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Thank you !
I tend to multitask. I do some household chore, take a break to read about 5 blogs, then do another thing. That’s how I get by.
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 12:55 pm
*Runs after Renx with a balu egg* OY!! get back here!! this one’s still got feathers!!!! It’s like eating a boiled egg, with all the tastes cranked up 900 times lol! Indeed, I am absolutely in love with it and could eat more still, Heck I even use salt instead of the vinegar just because I enjoy the soup that comes with it inside 😀
I didn’t have Champorado this time ’round but I am most definitely going back to try 😉
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Normally, just a pinch of salt is added….. didn’t try it with a vinegar.
So do you think eating a balut is at Fear Factor’s level ? Or is it at the level of having 4 snakes slither all over you ?
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 1:56 pm
Snakes are actually okay because they are more scared of you than you of them, but to consume something that was about to be born? heh! you got that guilt element with the fear 😁😁
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 2:34 pm
* shivers, trembles, cringes * I can’t even look at pictures of snakes. I once dreamt of snakes slithering towards me….. it was my worst nightmare, EVER. I was screaming ” Wake me up, wake me up ! ” in my dream. There was a picture of snakes in my Biology book in middle school. I wanted to rip off the page, but of course I couldn’t, so I just covered it up with Scotch tape.
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 3:41 pm
lol! if you had ripped up the page because of the photo of the snake 😄
They are fascinating creatures, I once felt the bottom of a boa and the way they propel themselves? quite amazing ☺️
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Snakes okay ? Tell that to a cobra or rattlesnake. Wahahahaha.
Ooooh, wait, Andy. My father said he and his buddy went to this place the Taiwanese ( my father and his friend went to Taiwan ) call snake alley. they saw raw snake blood ( straight from live snake ) being poured into a drinking glass, and I think they mix it with alcohol. It’s supposed to be an aphrosidiac. If I had to choose…… it’d be a dozen baluts, hands down. You’ve been to Taiwan, right ? Snake Alley is supposed to be a tourist attraction.
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 5:55 pm
There’s a chance that I’ll go to Taiwan in February! I’m so totally taking Glai with me to that then! haha! I imagine that the blood came from a non venomous snake hum!
I’d love to meet a rattlesnake, so cool that tail thing they do heh!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 1:15 pm
You can cook champorado at home, Andy. Try it and let me know how it tastes.
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 1:56 pm
oki! ☺️
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 2:21 pm
You have to take pics of the champorado , y’know. Hehe he. And you eating it. Hmmm, I wish Glai took a pic of you eating balut for the first time. Or , she actually did ?
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Well we’re meeting up again so I think she’ll be making it heh!! ☺️
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 3:42 pm
As for photo? mmmm I did do a live video of me eating it on fb, if I could download and post it I’d share it lol
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 3:53 pm
Whoa ! Share it here on my comment section ! ! Or , I’ll post it on my next entry.
Posted by andy1076 on June 9, 2017 at 5:48 pm
Will try! lol!
Posted by andy1076 on June 12, 2017 at 1:51 am
I put the live video on public on FB, let me know if you can access it 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Got it ! Cool ! ! Now , with your permission, of course, I’ll post it soon…… so more people can see it.
Posted by andy1076 on June 12, 2017 at 5:23 pm
If you like ☺️
Posted by andy1076 on June 12, 2017 at 5:24 pm
I’ve also put other live videos on my fb profile on public too lol I needed practice 😂
Posted by TWWK on June 9, 2017 at 2:26 pm
Champorado looks and sounds delicious! Never seen it before!
Balut is something I’m familiar with – they sell it at the markets here in Texas, but also our church sends a mission team to Cambodia every year, and it’s kind of a right of passage for them to eat balut. Some love it and some just can’t do it haha, but I’m definitely up for it!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 9, 2017 at 5:22 pm
Chocolate puffed rice cereals , and milk. That’s exactly the taste, champorado ‘s sweetness is according to taste.
What ? They sell it in Texas ?
I don’t know how they cook it in Cambodia.
Posted by TWWK on June 9, 2017 at 6:02 pm
Yeah, there’s a fairly big Asian population here!
Posted by DelBlogger on June 10, 2017 at 3:20 am
No matter what…get your rest!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 10, 2017 at 2:41 pm
Thank you. My new job has altered my lifestyle and new responsibilities have descended upon me, lol. I can say it’s a new phase in my life.
Posted by Rebecca Dawn on June 10, 2017 at 4:00 am
Nope nope will not touch Balut! A co-worker ate that at work. The people who were with him on break went screaming from the crew room! 😂
It is funny, when we were kids we complained we couldn’t stay up late now that we are adults we can’t wait to be asleep!!😂
I hope you find some sleep and get some rest! 😊
Posted by renxkyoko on June 10, 2017 at 2:44 pm
I dare you, Rebecca, he he he. Wanna accept the dare ? I need pictures, then I’ll post them here. Let’s have some fun ! !
Posted by Rebecca Dawn on June 10, 2017 at 8:05 pm
No way, I’m adventurous with my eating but nope!
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Awwww, Rebecca. * sad *
Posted by Rebecca Dawn on June 12, 2017 at 11:42 pm
i am crazy but not that crazy!
i dont want to see a beak when I am eating eggs! lol
Oh my god now I am going to have nightmares of a zombie baby chicken! :s
Posted by becomingdeutsch on June 10, 2017 at 4:32 am
Gave balut to my husband as a dare while he was visiting the Philippines. He said it looks scary but didn’t taste as bad as others would describe.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 10, 2017 at 2:34 pm
That’s, oh, so true. I myself didn’t like what I saw inside, but, it didn’t taste as bad as its reputation……. in fact, it tasted good. It tasted better than hard boiled egg . It’s savory.
Posted by FrauM on June 10, 2017 at 2:38 pm
He said so.. maybe next time it would be dinuguan and isaw. The only thing he said he won’t try is the shrimp paste. 😆
Posted by renxkyoko on June 10, 2017 at 2:55 pm
Thumbs up to hubby ! Yay ! Are you and husband non- Filipinos or, do you have Filipino ancestry ?
The shrimp paste……. that’s another one. It’s a very Southeast Asian ingredient. Thais and Malaysians use a lot of shrimp paste in their dishes. Your hubby doesn’t have to eat shrimp paste as is ( it’s very salty ) but should eat a dish that has the paste as a main ingredient , like ” pakbet “, a veggie dish from Northern part of the Philippines.
It really is an acquired taste.
Posted by FrauM on June 10, 2017 at 3:02 pm
I am a Filipino.. he is German. The thing is.. even if the food is really yummy, like pakbet, any trace of shrimp paste will make his tastebuds resist. Haha.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 1:45 pm
That’s what they say, he he. My former bro-in-law ( my sister’s ex) didn’t like liver….. but then we had lechon, so of course there was the liver gravy….. he liked the gravy very much and asked us what it was ….. we told him that was mashed up liver , and told him as well that the main ingredient in Caldereta which was his favorite dish was liver ( liver spread ) Ha ha ha . It changed his mind.
Posted by FrauM on June 12, 2017 at 1:54 pm
Ah~!!! hahaha. I did introduce sisig to my husband that way. He said he has not tasted anything like that as a beer partner. I told him what it was made of, and he said… ah, it is delicious anyway. 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Ha ! You see ? He he he * ears , cheeks, snout, etc. I wonder if you’re hubby will eat it again.
Some can’t even eat oxtail. lol
Posted by FrauM on June 12, 2017 at 2:38 pm
He said I should learn how to cook it! Haha.
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Sisig is a hang-over dish.
Posted by Joel F on June 11, 2017 at 9:00 am
Truly yummy pinoy food, I remember eating balot when I was in grade school, I dislike it, i promise not to try it again. But come my teen years during a drinking spree, i was coerced to try it again, Beer pressure, oops, peer pressure, i ate a lot. 🙂
Now i enjoy eating it from time to time during my street wandering escapades, lol.
And champorado is a must have for me during my grade school years.
Thanks for sharing this post. Nice to relive some memories.
Posted by joey on June 11, 2017 at 5:39 pm
I am an adventurous eater, and I love duck, but even I will pass on duck fetus.
Champorado — Something to do with leftover rice, maybe? Sounds yummy. I feel like I’ve had this before…
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 1:27 pm
The fried rice is basically a left-over rice. For Champrado, I guess you can use left-over rice, just cook it again and add water, then , go ahead and add cocoa powder, amount depends on you, ( I like it very chocolatey, so I add a lot ), then go ahead and add sugar to your taste… then add milk into the bowl of champorado. It’s comfort food.
Posted by D K Powell on June 12, 2017 at 11:36 am
You’re doing better with blogs than me! Both reading and writing them! I really need to get mine sorted out…
Posted by renxkyoko on June 12, 2017 at 1:51 pm
D K Powell, I type as I think….. and you know, thoughts digress, ha ha ha. Someone said my posts are very conversational. I don’t know. It’s just me, I guess.
Posted by D K Powell on June 14, 2017 at 3:07 pm
I love your posts anyway! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on June 14, 2017 at 4:52 pm
Thank you very much, Mr. Powell ! It’s an honor.
Posted by D K Powell on June 15, 2017 at 9:25 am
Please! Call me Ken!!! 😀
Posted by renxkyoko on June 16, 2017 at 3:17 am
Okay, Ken !
Posted by Initiator-Life with Tranquility :) on June 12, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Hi Dearest Frnd,
Hope you are very good and smart as always you are..!
Always missing your presence..!
Tahir
Posted by Peter Wells aka Countingducks on June 19, 2017 at 4:01 pm
I always love your blog. You are such a charming and engaging person that it is a delight to connect with your thoughts. Hope life is being kind to you 🙂
Posted by Erma Santo on June 21, 2017 at 7:17 pm
I never tried balut, in my whole life and I probably never will even when I see them every night as I get off a jeepney and walk to my dorm here at the downtown of Cebu. My late dad told me that baluts aren’t for kids when I was a kid because they could make us deaf and as a child I was very obedient I actually took his words and never tried it. Also balut looks weird and it just doesn’t look tasty to me.
Posted by Jai on July 12, 2017 at 8:51 am
Try eating Champorado with Tuyo (Dried Fish). Partners in crime. Ha! Well, Balut is also being sold in the streets. Tried buying from the vendor one time and eat inside our house with lights on but it grossed me out. Haha! But when I eat it at dark street alley with light posts only, I enjoyed them. Haha!
Posted by Kurian on July 23, 2017 at 12:25 pm
Thank You for this. I had two wrong ideas about balut. One that I thought it’s chicken egg. Two I thought it’s raw and not boiled.
And I should try Champorado.
Posted by renxkyoko on July 23, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Try champorado ! ! It’s good , and filling and what can go wrong with chocolate. It’s like eating chocolate coated puffed rice. Add milk , of course.
I tried balut already, and it actually tasted good….. that is, if you go past the mental barrier, ha ha ha. I didn’t want to see the embryo, so I closed my eyes before eating it.
Posted by Kurian on July 24, 2017 at 4:46 am
Balut! You are brave. Perhaps I will also do that, when I become brave.
Champorado I will try.
And I really want to try Buco Pie. Really liked it when we were in Philippines 😊
Posted by Precious Jasmin on September 28, 2017 at 1:56 am
Two of my favorites! Uwaaa. I miss waiting for the balut vendor every night but now I don’t know why I stopped waiting. Lol.