Eating Chicks?

[crazychickens]

That's called balut, it's kind of sad and gross. They steam the baby chick alive in it's egg, then eat it, feathers and all.

 

[ChicknThief]

Hmmm. A very interesting question... I daresay I have never heard that one before!

I would wait until a week or so of age so that you actually get some meat instead of just icky three week old yolk. Maybe even a month or more, depending on how quickly this hybrid develops. Keep us updated on what you may find!

 

[MissPrissy]

Well I don't know about new chicks but cornish game hens in your local grocery store are grown out to about 4 weeks and then dispatched. I have been thinking about doing 100 of them this fall.

 

[rufus]

Balut is common in many Asian countries. It doesn't seem to gross people out. Before you go to dinner with some people, it is best to tactfully inquire what would be on the menu. It sure beats finding yourself in a difficult situation.

On the other hand, it is always nice to let your guest know what you will be serving. Some Asians have a problem with lactose intolerance.

As far as finding a use for male chicks, it probably would be more economical to feed them out until they are big enough to butcher.

Rufus

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I wouldn't think there would be much to a chick, eating wise. I have heard about the ducklings eaten out of the egg, it didn't tickle my fancy too much..LOL..

I would definately wait about a week before trying it, because then at least the yolk would be absorbed.

If you are looking for an economical use for the male chicks, you could look at grinding them up and using them as a protein source.. I personally don't think you'll get much business selling fried day-old chicks..LOL.

But, hey, you could try it and see. I think if it was profitable though, I think all the big commercial hatcheries would have jumped on the opportunity to make a litte $$ off all those unwanted male chicks..

-Kim

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Quote:
that was on bizzare foods vietnam. They deep fried newborne sparrows. you eat the head and whole body

 

[greyfields]

You can find old recipes for doing this. I know there are some classic french dishes which require chicks from certain wild birds, which I think are just steamed and eaten whole (I think the feathers come out as they're steamed).

It's not something for me. But, it does make you wonder how much I ancestors relied on food they could find locally. We're constrained by a food system which provides beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey with very little variation. It makes you wonder what parts of our culture and hertiage has been lost.

 

[d.k]

* O.K.- Back in the 6o's when I was a kid, my mom's BF got her 8 y/o son a chickee pet. 2 wks later this kid's parents wake up to a house FULL of noxious smoke and little Bobby fixing the folks breakfast. Wanna guess the menu?????

 

[ChicknThief]

d.k :

* O.K.- Back in the 6o's when I was a kid, my mom's BF got her 8 y/o son a chickee pet. 2 wks later this kid's parents wake up to a house FULL of noxious smoke and little Bobby fixing the folks breakfast. Wanna guess the menu?????

Are you serious!? OMGosh. Though I can't really talk, LOL. When I was that age I wanted to kill and eat Bambi.

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, in many cultures, it's not all about the meat. It's often about utilizing the animal and other delicacys that developed for some reason or another. Balut isn't disgusting if you grew up in that type of culture without such a stigma against it. In some eyes it may seem weird that you throw away the whole body of an animal and only eat the large cuts of meat such as the breast and thighs.

I personally grew up in pretty much American-Asian culture and would probably grow the birds out just enough to make soup myself though.