The practice of making and eating fertilized duck eggs is a widely known practice in Asia. In the Philippines, “
Are the eggs we eat fertilized?
Most eggs sold commercially in the grocery store are from poultry farms and have not been fertilized. ... Given the right nutrients, hens will lay eggs with or without having been in the presence of a rooster. For an egg to become fertilized, a hen and rooster must mate prior to the formation and laying of the egg.
Why do Asians eat fertilized eggs?
There Balut Egg Is Not Without Controversy
Despite everything that balut eggs have working against them, the southeast Asian culture still reveres them to this day. They are eaten as a street food throughout the Philippines and are even considered a restorative and curative food for pregnant and delivering women.