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Eating Guinea Pig for Tea

December 11, 2012 by Arianwen Morris 22 Comments

Would you eat your childhood pet?

Lucky for me, I was only allowed a goldfish (which oddly enough I called ‘Blog’ before I’d even discovered the internet) and a hamster that met a sticky end when my dad drowned it in a bucket!

I’d been whinging about eating guinea pig for weeks and our last night in Cusco was possibly the last chance I’d get.

Eating guinea pig - cute

A group of us arranged to meet at the highly acclaimed restaurant Quinta Eulalia, only to find that it was closed on Sundays. After one guy in a pharmacy falsely informed us that you could only get it as a lunch-time snack, we discovered a restaurant a few doors down that had two of the little fellows left. Score!

We ordered one between us for S/50. There’s not much meat on a guinea pig, but we were only there for the experience.

Making certain that they would serve it whole, so it looked as much like a guinea pig as possible, we settled in to a couple of bottles of Bolivian red and waited excitedly.

Eating guinea pig - yummy

Half an hour later, the waiter brought a platter over to our table. Sure enough, the creature was whole. Its skin had sunk and wrinkled and its teeth protruded grotesquely. It was everything I’d imagined!

I’m not normally one to play with my food, but when my friend suggested we take photos kissing its snout I couldn’t resist.

Eating guinea pig - give us a kiss

We sliced it up into 4 chunks and tucked in. And it was really tasty…possibly the best meat I’ve had. The best bit was its paw, which crunched between my teeth like crackling.

The verdict: I wish it wasn’t such a delicacy. It’s definitely one of the most expensive dishes on any Peruvian menu. But it’s so worth ordering it if you get the chance.

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    December 11, 2012 at 2:19 am

    I have to say, you do a really good job selling the guinea pig! Almost made me wish I’d tried it – almost! Though I do regret that I never even saw one in a restaurant, despite it being on quite a few menus. Love your photos, too :)
    Lauren recently posted..Studying in Ghana with Emily McGeeMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 11, 2012 at 2:34 am

      I think the price puts people off. I never saw anyone else eating one either – although perhaps sometimes it’s better disguised!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer says

    December 11, 2012 at 6:11 am

    I’d try it. Glad you found a place to on your last night!
    Jennifer recently posted..Dining Under the Arabian Stars at AmaseenaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 11, 2012 at 9:54 pm

      I know. Close call right?! Glad to have someone on my side. I’m getting a lot of stick for eating the little fella…

      Reply
      • sad says

        April 4, 2013 at 12:49 pm

        I hope someone finds you delicious one of these days.

        Reply
        • Arianwen Morris says

          April 4, 2013 at 2:22 pm

          Believe me, so do I…!

          Reply
  3. Hannah says

    December 12, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Wow. Ari. Like, WOW! It does look a little disturbing on the plate, but you’ve convinced me too :-)

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 12, 2012 at 9:46 pm

      Yay! I love how divided people are on whether or not it’s ok to eat guinea pig. Glad to have you on board :)

      Reply
  4. Ayngelina says

    December 12, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    I ate it in both Ecuador over an open spit and then deep fried in Peru. I have to say I prefer it in Ecuador as it’s a bit less greasy but I enjoyed it. Both times locals took me so it was pretty cheap and I’d eat it again.
    Ayngelina recently posted..Untouched OkanaganMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 12, 2012 at 9:48 pm

      Deep fried sounds good! I like the grease!

      Reply
  5. Buntell says

    December 14, 2012 at 11:50 pm

    Nice sharing.
    I never eat guinea pig. :)
    Buntell recently posted..Antangin JRG Tablet 1 Strip – DeltomedMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 15, 2012 at 12:02 am

      Do it just once. Trust me, it’s delicious!!

      Reply
  6. Shaun says

    December 15, 2012 at 5:44 pm

    Awesome, do you know how many other I know would have ran out the door! Good on you for trying it and…descriptively, enjoying it :)

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 15, 2012 at 6:20 pm

      A lot of people haven’t been too happy with me for eating it! But at the end of the day, it was yummy so I don’t care!

      Reply
  7. Melissa says

    July 14, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    Strange, yours looks a bit different from the one I recently tried. And a lot more expensive than the one I had!!

    Glad you liked it! My kid also enjoyed it, but, while I’m glad I had the experience, I can’t say I ever need to try it again:)
    Melissa recently posted..Going where there are no roads… Riding a riverboat down the mighty Tambopata River into the Peruvian jungle [PHOTO/VIDEO ESSAY]My Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      July 16, 2013 at 5:59 am

      Yeah, we were in a fancy restaurant. I’d definitely have it again. It was tasty! But not enough meat on the bone… :)

      Reply
  8. joão says

    August 30, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Well I’m a vegetarian but this sounded delicious cuy you must have gobbled up the last piece

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      September 2, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      It was really good. Perhaps enough to turn a veggie!

      Reply
  9. Apisai Tora Malaude says

    August 19, 2015 at 1:51 am

    Its good to lean different place and menus going along with it.by seeing you with that Guinea i would love to have taste of it.

    Reply
  10. Curious Cuisine says

    November 14, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    Eww, what is that thing supposed to be in front of the tasty looking piece on the plate?

    Reply
    • Curious Cuisine says

      November 14, 2015 at 9:34 pm

      piece of meat* darn it, somehow my thought didn’t finish getting typed, lol

      Also though, is the brain tissue accessible / edible?

      Reply
      • Arianwen Morris says

        November 15, 2015 at 12:26 pm

        Haha. Do you know what, I can’t remember! It was probably just some veggies. Unless you meant me in the other picture….?! I have no idea if the brain tissue is accessible or edible. We weren’t tempted to try!

        Reply

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