Balúmbalúnan

Adobong Atay at Balumbalunan by Jeric Travis.

Balumbalunan (spelled variously as balun-balunan, balunbalunan, balon-balunan…) refers to a bird’s gizzard, which is a muscular pouch behind or below the stomach. The gizzard has a thick lining and often contains ingested grit that aids in the breakdown of seeds before digestion.

The portion of the gizzard that grinds ingested food is usually removed before the gizzard reaches market. Because it is very tough, chicken gizzard needs a lot of cooking.

In the Philippines, a common way of preparing balumbalunan is to cook it adobo style, meaning with soy sauce, vinegar and a bay leaf. It is usually paired with atay (liver). It can also be fried or sauteed.

Other English names for balumbalunan: ventriculus, gastric mill, gigerium