Cuy: Eating Guinea Pig in Cusco, Peru

If you've traveled in Peru long enough chances are you've had an opportunity to sample Ceviche, Pisco Sour and potentially Cuy. Cuy, also known as Guinea Pig, is a traditional highlands food of the Incas. This Andean entree tastes similar to chicken and/or rabbit and is typically prepared in numerous different ways. As a staple of Andean cuisine, the meat from the Cuy is high in protein and low in cholesterol. If you're looking to try it for the first time Cuzco is a great option.
Cuy Al Horno: Eating Guinea Pig in Cusco, Peru Travel Video Transcript:
So last night's attempt to eat Cuy or Guinea Pig was a bit of a flop so we tried again tonight. We finally found a restaurant that is open and serving Guinea Pig, so yeah we've placed our order and we're sitting here just waiting for our first Cuy meal. This is a first for both me and Sam.
Okay, so time to spew off a few facts about Guinea Pig. Yeah, so the Cuy is something we've been wanting to try for a while now. It is one of the most traditional Peruvian foods you can possibly get. It originates from the Andes. It is a rodent. And apparently the meat is very high in protein and low in cholesterol. So it is healthy for you! Yeah, exactly. Who would have known. This is a perfect meal to have just before our hike to Machu Picchu. Yeah.
So another fun fact, because I know you guys really like those is that if you visit Cuszo Cathedral, once you go inside you'll see that there is a painting of Jesus and the 12 Disciples enjoying their last supper and guess what they're eating? It's a Guinea Pig and it is lying on its back with its little paws up in the air. So if Guinea Pig is good enough for Jesus and his Disciples we can certainly eat it while we're in Cusco.
And they were kind enough to let us go take a look at how it is being cooked and prepared. So let's go walk over and check out the wood fire burning oven. Just over there. Just over there. That is where our Cuy is being made.
So our dinner has arrived and I'm trying not to look at the Guinea Pig in the face because it kind of reminds me of my sister's two pet Chinchillas but there it is on the plate. And it comes with a few sides so if you look down here you can see that we have some golden potatoes, some fried yellow potato actually and we have a little salad and we also have a stuffed pepper with cheese melted over top. So yes, I guess the next step is to dig in to our Cuy.
So our server has kindly chopped up the Cuy because we didn't really know where to begin and apparently you have to eat this with your hands.
Yes, so I'm going to grab just a chunk here. It is time for the first bite. Is that like the back? Oh, the skin.
Wow, the meat is quite tender. You know what it tastes a lot like chicken. If I didn't know what I was eating I would have guessed it was chicken. That's good to know. It makes me a feel a little better about taking my first bite.
I think I have the back and the hind leg.
I'm just taking little nibbles. How does it taste?
It's like stringy chicken. Yeah, like it even looks like chicken. Like the dark meat on a chicken. So you could fool me but I've seen the whole Guinea Pig on the plate. So now I know what I'm having and you just kind of have to get over that because it does make a bit of an impression on you. Especially if you have Chinchillas for pets because they just look so similar.
So moving on we're kind of taking a bite of its mid-section here. So what you really notice about when you have Guinea Pig is that the skin is really crispy but the meat inside is quite tender. I actually like it. We're also noticing that there are some organs and bones. Yeah, yeah and strange things inside our Cuy. It is very much cooked as it is and you eat it as it is presented. Yes, that is how you have Cuy in Peru.
So now the verdict. If you saw Cuy on a menu would you order it again? I'm not necessarily sure I would just because it is a bit expensive and I think that if you were to have something like chicken or something else you might get a little bit more meat. But I'm really glad I tried it. It tasted honestly better than I expected and uh yeah if you're Peru definitely try it though at a least once.
This is part of our Travel in Peru series. We're making a series of videos showcasing Peruvian culture, Peruvian arts, Peruvian foods, Peruvian religion, Peruvian cuisine and Peruvian people. All things Peruano. The best of Comida Peruana and Cocina Peruana.
Proudly presented by: &
Music in this video courtesy of Audio Network