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Andean cuisine is well known for its exotic fruits, fish and
seafood, and innumerable varieties of potato. Travellers should
be aware, however, that some unusual culinary traditions have
survived for thousands of years and when you’re visiting
Ecuador or Peru you’ll probably have the
opportunity to sample an old family favorite, guinea pig.
Origins and History
The guinea pig is native to the Andes, and whether
fried or roasted, it’s a traditional dish known as cuy,
which dates back at least fifteen centuries to pre-Incan times.
It has continued to be such a popular meal throughout the
ages that in colonial times Indian artisans enthusiastically
painted pictures in churches of Christ tucking into guinea
pig at the Last Supper.
Guinea pigs are kept in pens in the corner of the kitchen
until a special occasion, when they are killed and cooked
immediately. Care and preparation of the guinea pig used to
be a woman’s chore but raising guinea pigs is increasingly
becoming a commercial practise, especially with the surge
in tourism in recent years.
As well as being a source of food, the guinea pig is also
important in folk medicine and native religion. Doctors in
Ecuador use guinea pigs to determine the cause of illness
by pressing the creature against the patient’s body until
it squeals, revealing the source of the ailment.
Serving Suggestion
Cuy appears on the menu of many restaurants in the highland
regions of Ecuador and Peru but as it’s considered a
novelty by tourists, it’s often rather expensive. If
you are attending a local festival you may be able to sample
guinea pig cheaply from street stalls and hawkers.
The guinea pig is either fried or baked, and is served whole
(head, paws and all) on a platter with potatoes and vegetables.
It tastes a little like chicken, but with a gamey flavour
all of its own. About the size of a large rat, guinea pigs
can be rather skinny and there’s often not a lot of meat
on them.
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