Guinea Pig Food Peru

So upon arrival in Cusco, Peru, we knew that part of our culinary adventure had to be cuy or guinea pig. Yes, that little hamster-like creature you had as a childhood pet is somewhat of a delicacy in the Andean highlands and has been a traditional part of the Peruvian and Bolivian diets since pre-colonial times.

Guinea pig food peru. Peruvian Guinea Pig Food. These Cavies need a good diet to stay healthy. Peruvian guinea pig food consists of Timothy hay and pellets specially formulated for guinea pigs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is very important for all guinea pigs, including Peruvians. Diego Oka, Executive chef at La Mar, Gaston Acurio‘s Miami Restaurant, served up guinea pig at the restaurant for Peruvian Independence Day. Cuy dishes form part of the Novoandina (New Andean) cuisine movement but most regions in Peru will have their own recipe. Guinea pigs bred for food are eaten once they have reached a couple of months old. The guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (the present-day southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia), some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids. Statues dating from circa 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador. Guinea pigs eat vegetation and do not require water to drink if supplied with sufficiently moist food, but they must have water if fed dry commercial food.They breed all year in captivity. Females bear up to 13 young per litter (4 is average); gestation takes 68 days. Although the young can scamper about and eat solid food the day they are born, they are not fully weaned for about three weeks.

The growing popularity of guinea pig meat in high-end restaurants in Peru is helping to usher in the return of a traditional, and environmentally friendly, industry led by women. As you might have guessed, guinea pigs are not beloved pets in Peru. 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. Media caption Inside a guinea pig farm. Most people see them as fluffy adorable pets, but in Peru guinea pigs - or "cuy" as they are known locally - are a delicacy. In the past few years their. Peru's food culture is famed worldwide. These top 10 dishes are typical Peruvian traditional foods that will make your mouth water. Skip to primary navigation;. Guinea pig or cuy in Spanish is the second most popular source of meat in the Andes (alpaca being the first). The thoughts of eating a rodent or a pet may seem repulsive to some.

While guinea pig may be attaining star status as a hold-your-nose-and-roll-the-camera bizarre food, whether an animal so favored as a pet in the United States will become a mainstream piece of. Don't miss these essential Peruvian specialties en route to Machu Picchu. Peru Pushes Guinea Pigs As Food.. Chauca and her team of researchers at La Molina's National Institute of Agrarian Investigation started the super-size guinea pig project in 1970. Eating cuy (guinea pig) in Peru; 2015 . December. Peru's Sacred Valley Part 1: what to do and where to eat in Cusco; How to manage altitude sickness; A Candide winter in Little Burgundy; Holiday gift ideas for the food and travel lover on your list & a giveaway! November. When in Lima, eat all the ceviche! Current Crush | November 2015 edition.

Cuy chactado: A dish more popular in the highlands is this meal of fried guinea pig. Often the indigenous women of the Peruvian Andes will raise the guinea pigs in their huts. Besides the use of guinea pigs as separate meals, they are often cooked in a Pachamanca with other meats and vegetables. Olluquito con charqui is another traditional. The guinea pig, or “cuy” in Peru, is a luxury reserved only for the most decadent of occasions and since I had spent the past four days oozing blood, sweat and tears on the unforgiving Inca Trail, it only seemed appropriate. Cuy’s esteem is reflected in its price, which at 25 Peruvian Soles, is about three times what you can expect to pay. Guinea pig meat is lean, high in protein and provides a lot of nutritional benefits. It was an excellent complement to the other elements of the Andean diet, such as potatoes, corn, beans and rice. Give It a Try While in Peru. When I was in Peru I decided to give guinea pig a try – it’s all part of the cultural experience to try the local food! Guinea pig (Cuy) is a delicacy that is very typically associated with typical Peruvian cuisine but it is also eaten throughout other countries of South America such as Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia.. The Peruvian guinea pig dish, cuy, is mostly served on special occasions rather than as a meal eaten regularly but is readily available for adventurous tourists to try in restaurants or at.

At this roadside food stand and many others like it in rural Peru, the house specialty is roasted guinea pig to go. It’s estimated that indigenous people in the Andes Mountains have been eating domesticated cuy (pronounced “kwee”) since 5000 BC. Then it was time for the main course. Our waiter brought out the whole cuy on a plate for all of us to take pictures with. Although cuy is a staple in the Peruvian diet, they know that foreigners aren’t used to eating guinea pig and that we make a big deal out of eating these little animals that most have had as pets.