UNDERSTAND

Guinea Pigs. The diminutive, furry little rodent that your parents bought you ostensibly for your first pet, but probably did so as a macabre demonstration of the cycle of life and death. Remember those? Remember the tiny little fella squeaking in their cage? Cute, right? Not in the Andes - here, you’;re more likely to eat a guinea pig with a side of rice than feed it iceberg lettuce on the way to school.

The indigenous peoples of the Andes have been eating Guinea Pig for a long time. For a very long time in fact - most estimates suggest that the humble guinea pig was domesticated in South America as early as 5000 BC as a food source, rather than as a pet. Most records suggest that Guinea Pig, or Cuy, as it is more widely known in the Andes, was largely reserved for ceremonial rites or religious rituals for the peoples of present day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Early Inca records seem to note that Cuy was traditionally reserved for Incan nobility, and seems to have been largely unavailable to common people. However, all that changed in the recent past, with the Guinea Pig becoming increasingly accessible to the peoples of the Andes for everyday eating, largely due to how cheaply the Guinea Pig can be raised and subsequently eaten compared to other livestock. Consumption of Cuy sharply increasing throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, and today, estimates suggest 65 million guinea pigs are consumed annually in Peru alone. While the dish is most synonymous with Peruvian culture, Cuy remains commonly eaten in Bolivia, and can still be found easily in the highlands regions of Ecuador and Colombia. Subsequently, the humble guinea Pig continues to hold a special place in Andean Cuisine and the larger consciousness of the Andean people - you only have to take a look at the huge Last Supper painting hanging in the Cathedral Basilica in Cusco, Peru - what do you see the apostles and Jesus gathered around? Not bread, but Cuy. That’s right. Jesus eating a guinea pig, it doesn’t get any more sanctified than that.

WHY EAT IT

Qualms around eating what may have been a pet aside, there are a huge range of reasons for eating Cuy. Chief amongst them is efficiency; guinea pigs are around twice as productive as cows at turning food such as hay, into edible meat. Moreover, guinea pigs take up considerably less space than cows, require significantly less water, and produce a hugely reduced level of waste - as such, the ecological footprint created from eating a guinea pig is drastically smaller than that of eating a cow. Raising a gaggle of guinea pigs can be done humanely in an urban setting - whilst raising a herd of cattle requires huge pastures of arable land, involving deforestation and subsequent environment devastation through erosion of land and water table pollution.

Moreover, guinea pig farming is a considerably more accessible means of work for the majority of farmers living in the Andes and in greater South America. As noted above, cattle ranching requires a lot of space, which requires a huge amount of money. However, guinea pigs can be safely raised in a farmers backyard, and reproduce at a hugely more efficient rate than cows. As such, farmers (or ordinary people) are much more able to raise the necessary funds to start up guinea pig farming than they are cattle farming, and are far more likely to be able to sustain such a farm. Some estimates suggest that a guinea pig farm can be safely started in Peru for as little as $100 US - and will generally bring in returns for the farmer of around double to triple within 1-2 months - a significantly more safe and timely investment for most Andean peoples than cattle ranching.

MY EXPERIENCE

The first time that I ate Cuy was in Arequipa, in southern Peru. I’d been building the dish up in my mind for weeks - wondering about how it would taste, whether I’d like it, or whether it would live up to my expectations. Everywhere you go on the gringo trail in South America, giddy backpackers will be bantering about guinea pig; some talking about how revolting they find the practice, others describing about how much they enjoyed the erstwhile pet. Coming from Australia, the opportunity to eat Cuy presented to me a unique chance to eat something well out of the ordinary, and was something that I was greatly looking forward to. One of the most essential aspects of travel in my opinion is experience, eating occasionally challenging food presents of the ultimate experiences in travel - something that is transportive, something that is memorable. So, when I sat down at La Palomino (Calle Misti 400, Arequipa) and ordered the guinea pig, it’s safe to say that I was feeling a slight anticipation. Waiting there at the restaraunt for the plate to arrive, I felt the hype increasing - what would this mythical dish taste like? Would I hate it or love it? And then it was placed before me - the entire guinea pig, sitting on a white plate, claws, teeth and all. I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever eaten something with a face before. The experience, whilst not jarring, was slightly outlandish. However, after my nervous first few bites, I understood the hype. The taste was like a wild fowl or rabbit. It was oily, rich, and very, very tasty. I kept eating, and the flavour only improved. Notwithstanding the sight of the half desiccated guinea pig on the plate, this was becoming one of the more memorable meals of my life. Before I knew it, I’d consumed the entire plate. Had I not been so full at this stage, I think I’d have ordered seconds.

PREPARATIONS

Cuy comes in a variety of different forms and styles, and the way that you’ll eat it is largely dependent upon region. For westerners, the soft entry point to Cuy is with a ‘cuy chactado’, which is a flattened, fried version - from my experience, this is more reminiscent of fried chicken - hence its popularity with westerners. However, ‘Cuy Chactado’ is omnipresent rhroughout the Andes, and I’d strongly recommend this as a starting dish for any traveler looking to dip their toes in the waters on Andean Cuisine.

For a slightly more advanced experience, go for the ‘Cuy Al Horno’ - this is the guinea pig roasted with peanuts, chilli onion and garlic, and is usually served with a side of potatoes (because you’re in the Andes). Moreover, whilst you’re on this gustatory trip, why not try the Picante de Cuy, the hotter, spicier version of ‘Cuy Al Horno’. My personal pick is to try and find a Cuy stew - this can be found in most major cities in Peru, try and find one selling Cuy that has been cooked in a Pachamanca - an outdoor stove.

One thing to note is that the preparation and style of Cuy that you’’ be eating whilst in the Andes in hugely region specific. If you are in Huancayo, Cuy is generally prepared fried, with a sauce of pepper and achiote. However, if you are in the around Arequipa or the south of Peru, you’ll notice that it is most commonly prepared as Cuy Chactado - baked whole with beans and rice. However, if you are in the ancient capital, Cusco, Cuy will most likely be brought to you like a suckling pig.