Guinea Pig Traditional Peruvian Food

This place is well known for serving traditional arequipean food including the cuy chactado.

Guinea pig traditional peruvian food. Cuy chactado a traditional peruvian guinea pig dish. Olluquito con charqui traditional peruvian 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. In fact peru loves cuy so much that they even have a national holiday to celebrate the guinea pig.

Cuy chactado is fried guinea pig. One whole guinea pig breaded with flour and fried flat as a whole with the head foot tails and everything else intact. Before it was brought to europe and made a pet guinea pig was already served as a meal and domesticated in almost every home in the highlands. The four traditional staples of peruvian cuisine are corn potatoes and other tubers and amaranthaceaes quinoa kañiwa and kiwicha and legumes beans and lupins.

Peruvians don t keep them as pets. It s not a regular meal for peruvians but is often served on special occasions such as holidays and birthdays. Staples brought by the spanish include rice wheat and meats beef pork and chicken. One of the more unique delicacies in peruvian food is cuy a baked or fried guinea pig served with potatoes.

A traditional food guinea pig called cuy in peru has been served whole on special occasions since inca times. This was the traditional peruvian way to serve guinea pig. What does it taste like. Crunchy and crispy satisfying your taste buds completely.

Peruvians even declared a national holiday every second friday in october to celebrate the guinea pig. It s mostly served in andean cities such as cusco and arequipa. What they are is a delicious delicacy best served with potatoes and salsa. 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.

Guinea pigs are cute and cuddly and eating one is like eating your pet dog. Join myself and travis as we try eating peru s delicacy guinea pig also known as cuy. A fried guinea pig dish of peru mostly famous in the highlands.