Guinea Pig Cuy Peru Food

It wasn t until the spanish came and started sending guinea pigs to europe that the furry creatures were treated as pets.

Guinea pig cuy peru food. Holiday gift ideas for the food and travel lover on your list a giveaway. Breeders tend to use the more formal cavy to describe the animal while in scientific and laboratory contexts it is far more commonly referred to by the more colloquial guinea pig. How to manage altitude sickness. This video was shot in ollantaytambo peru.

Current crush november 2015 edition. In peru it s estimated that some 65 million guinea pigs are consumed each year. Eating cuy is such a tradition in fact an estimated 65 million guinea pigs are consumed annually in peru that there are festivals celebrating the humble beast with contests for the best dressed largest and of course best tasting guinea pig. Believe it or not guinea pigs originated in the andean region colombia ecuador bolivia and peru and were originally raised specifically for eating.

What to do and where to eat in cusco. There are two main cuy dishes popular in peru. A candide winter in little burgundy. 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.

Cuy al horno sometimes also called cuy al palo baked guinea pig cooked over a spit served whole and stuffed with herbs cuy chactado fried guinea pig often squashed under stones before frying. Peru s sacred valley part 1. Cuy is a delicious delicacy best served with potatoes and salsa. Guinea pigs are an indigenous animal and an easy source of protein for locals.

Cuy pronounced kwee which is guinea pig. While it might seem unconventional to tuck into furry critters better known as domesticated pets in the west this indigenous mammal has been a staple. Peruvians even declared a national holiday every second friday in october to celebrate the guinea pig. They re not pigs and they don t come from guinea.

The cuy peruano peruvian guinea pig is related to another animal called a cavy a large rodent found in south america. Guinea pigs are also high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Join myself and travis as we try eating peru s delicacy guinea pig also known as cuy. Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in quechua and cuy or cuyo plural cuyes cuyos in the spanish of ecuador peru and bolivia.