FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dear Flor Unveils First-Ever Non-Vegan THC Gummy: Balut
A bold and unexpected tribute to Filipino street food culture.
April 1, 2025 – New York, NY — Dear Flor, the Filipino-owned cannabis brand known for celebrating Filipino flavors through infused confections, is turning heads this April 1 with the announcement of its most daring release yet: Balut.
The Balut gummy marks the brand’s first-ever non-vegan product and is inspired by one of the Philippines’ most iconic (and controversial) street foods: the fertilized duck egg. But unlike its portrayal on reality TV shows like Fear Factor, Dear Flor’s take is all about reverence, not ridicule.
“We’ve spent our whole lives adapting—making our food more palatable, more explainable, more ‘acceptable,’” said Lisa Angulo Reid, CEO and Co-Founder of Dear Flor. “Balut has always been more than a dare. It’s comforting, rich, and deeply Filipino. We wanted to flip the script on how it’s been treated and own it with pride.”
The Balut gummy features a soft, savory outer shell flavored with sea salt, ginger, and lemongrass, which peels back to reveal a rich, custardy duck essence center. Infused with 5mg THC, it delivers a warm, body-forward high with a dose of cultural commentary.
While the product will not be commercially available—at least for now—the campaign underscores Dear Flor’s ongoing mission to challenge stereotypes and reclaim Filipino flavors that have long been misunderstood or mocked in Western media.
“What’s strange to some is comforting to us,” said Reid. “We’ve done the work of adapting—maybe it’s time the world met us where we are.”
The Balut gummy is a limited-edition April Fools release, but the message behind it is real: Filipino food doesn’t need to be softened or sweetened to be shared. It can be bold, savory, complex—and worthy of space on the shelf.
For more information on why we created the balut gummy, read our post on Substack or follow @lovedearflor on Instagram and TikTok.
About Dear Flor
Dear Flor is an independent, Filipina-owned company with a simple mission: to share Filipino culture with the world, one flavor at a time. Founded by Lisa Angulo Reid and Brian Reid, Dear Flor is the first line of cannabis gummies that are 100% vegan with 100% Filipino flavors. Dear Flor is the first cannabis company to sponsor a major league sports team in the US – the company is proud jersey sponsors of the Bay Area Breakers and the California Black Bears, two Major League Pickleball Challenger Level teams that are majority Asian-owned. For more information, contact kumusta@dearflor.com.