How do you like your eggs?

Let me start by saying sorry... Well I'm not entirely sure if I'm sorry, but I feel like I've done (eaten)  something wrong. I'm talking about duck eggs. Trung Vit Lon to Vietnamese people, is a cheap delicacy often sold as street food. One egg costs around 7 Dong, roughly 25p. I met a woman in Hanoi selling these eggs and it really hit home how hard some people have to work out here to gain relatively little. On a good day, if she sold 50 eggs, that would be an income of just £11.60! Pretty meagre considering the effort she puts into lugging around a massive pot of boiling water, eggs, and tiny stools for her guests to sit on! A daily struggle, but what she has to offer is truly something you've never had before!

Vietnam's 4ft3" weightlifting promise

 Back to the eggs, don't be thinking this is anything like a boiled egg from a chicken, far from it. These duck eggs are left to grow Into fertilized embryos! I'm told mother duck sits on these eggs for between 15-20 days and it is at this point in the duck's development that the eggs are nabbed and chowed! I said I'm sorry! 

If the tenders don't manage to get rid of their wares, eggs can grow old and it isn't uncommon to have to crunch your way through a feathery ball with a beak! I'll give you a minute to swallow that vomit in your mouth ...

Crouching tiger hidden duck

The thought of eating these duck embryos I agree is revolting, hence when I was a young pup I would kindly decline when my mum would bring them home as a treat from the Chinese supermarket. I'd always hover around though, watching my elder siblings and parents enjoying their little white egg, cringing obviously while battling with an inner turmoil, curious about trying another egg to see if I'd like it and envious that everyone could just get on with it. I do exactly the same thing with oysters, I can tell that they are super tasty but allow myself to be too distracted by the texture.

The flavour of these eggs after all is amazing, rich and creamy with a nutty yolk sac, the embryo is surrounded by a sweet serous fluid which is sipped first-tastes like a rich stock. If it's not too late on the body of the embryo should be soft, the yolk is similar in texture to that of a chicken egg when hard boiled, and the white, if over boiled can be rubbery and inedible, if boiled to perfection, rubbery like cartilage. Traditionally served with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and eaten with Vietnamese coriander (a must) and finely chopped ginger.

Can yer guess what it is yet?!

I can see why some wouldn't even dream of eating these things, but since I've been in Vietnam, i've been converted, I keep a keen ear out, listening for her Call 'ai muong Trung Vit Lon!' - who wants a duck egg!... ME! Normally 3 in one sitting! The perfect protein boost for my long journey ahead.