Guinea Pig Food In Peru

The staples in a cusqueñan diet are potatoes rice soups corn and lots of meat from alpaca to chicken to pork.

Guinea pig food in peru. It s an obvious entry but this list of weird foods in peru wouldn t be complete without guinea pigs. Woods says guinea pig consumption once mainly limited to households is exploding in peru s restaurants. So upon arrival in cusco peru we knew that part of our culinary adventure had to be cuy or guinea pig. Acidic tastes melding with the starchy.

Guinea pigs are cute and cuddly and eating one is like eating your pet dog. It wasn t until the spanish came and started sending guinea pigs to europe that the furry creatures were treated as pets. Guinea pig or cuy as it s known in peru is a tough one to swallow if you ve ever had a guinea pig as a pet. Believe it or not guinea pigs originated in the andean region colombia ecuador bolivia and peru and were originally raised specifically for eating.

Some called cuyerias actually specialize in cooking and serving guinea pig. Cuy one of peru s most famous dishes is not for the faint of heart. This was the traditional peruvian way to serve guinea pig. It s fried or roasted guinea pig and it s a peruvian delicacy.

Well known dishes such as ceviche originated in peru and of course there are famous foods in peru that are a tad more adventurous like cuy al horno roasted guinea pig. By sorrel moseley william s september 25 2014. A traditional food guinea pig called cuy in peru has been served whole on special occasions since inca times. Peruvian food is a cuisine of opposites.

Robust and delicate at the same time. Instead they are a traditional and important source of protein in the andes where they are known as cuy pronounced coo ee named after the sound the animal makes guinea pig meat was an important part of the pre colonial diet in peru way before the europeans introduced chicken pigs and cows to south america and it has. This balance occurs because traditional peruvian food relies on spices and bold flavors ranging from the crisp and clean to the heavy and deep. Remember that even dogs are eaten in many countries and guinea pigs have been a source of nutritious food for the inca for centuries.

Even if you didn t the very sight of a roasted guinea pig can send shivers down your spine. One whole guinea pig breaded with flour and fried flat as a whole with the head foot tails and everything else intact. This place is well known for serving traditional arequipean food including the cuy chactado. History of guinea pigs.