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The Time I Ate Guinea Pig In Peru

By Jonny Blair


On selected Friday's, Don't Stop Living brings you a featured food. This series of Friday's Featured Foods will be chosen at random from the countless dishes, meals and snacks I have tried as a global traveller. First up, I head back to my time in Peru and the day I tried Guinea Pig, known locally as Cui.

I had just finished the epic Inca Trail, which came to a stunning climax in the lost Inca City of Machu Picchu so spirits were high and I was just in awe of the amazing Sacred Valley in Peru. After the Inca Trail came to a close in Machu Picchu, we had been invited for lunch by our tour guide. We had agreed to meet in Chaski Restaurant in Aguas Calientes, PERU at 3 pm. I was hungry and wanted something local. PLUS, it was Christmas Day!!

When I was a kid Christmas Dinner was always a special meal in our calendar. I headed to church in Aguas Calientes first as it was always a tradition to go to church at Christmas. After that I headed over to the Chaski Restaurant in Aguas Calientes for my Christmas Dinner! Peruvian style!

I hadn't eaten Guinea Pig before and was hotly anticipating it. I was in Peru of course, but it is also popular in Ecuador. I'm always up for trying new food, but I don't always finish it if I don't like it!

There were a couple of options with the Guinea Pig Christmas Dinner. The choices were either Cuy Al Horno which is Roasted Guinea Pig. This comes with potatoes, cheese and salad. There is also the option of Pepian de Cuy which is Stewed Guinea Pig and that one is topped with peanut sauce and comes with rice and spuds. The price of them both was 55 Soles. I went for the Roasted option as I like cheese. It was nice to be having potatoes on Christmas Day.

And soon my roasted guinea pig was here and ready to be eaten. Our table raised a toast to completing the Inca Trail and we all ate and drank to our hearts content.

Right so I had the guinea pig, all roasted and for my Christmas Dinner - was it any good? Yes because I ate most of it. You had to pick at the bones for a lot of it and to be honest there were not large chunks of meat in it. But I try anything once and I loved it. It tasted slightly like chicken. After having my guinea pig for Christmas Dinner it was now time for a few beers to relax and celebrate having done the mega 4 day Inca Trail. Guinea Pig in Peru - yes - go and try it!! Happy eating and don't stop living!




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