The long awaited Cuy!

What has very little meat, tiny little feet, a protruding jaw bone and a whole lot of skin?

Thats right, our meal last Friday.

During our trek (our team name was fittingly team cuy) we informed our guide, David that we wanted to try the Peruvian delicacy, guinea pig more commonly known in these parts as cuy. We apparently were the 1st crazy tourists David had encountered to ask to try this traditional dish. Though he found the request quite strange, he promised to arrange a meal of cuy and chicha, the fermented corn beverage at his house after the trek. Each of us paying 25 soles (the equivalent of $9 US) on Thursday thenç parted ways looking forward to the long awaited meal the following evening.

David met us at our excellent hostel, Pariwana at 6pm the following evening and we took the local colectivo (minibus) up into the hills of Cusco where all of the locals live, far away from the touristy bustling city center. David lives with his mother, his wife Carmen, his two children and his brother who occupies the upstairs. The front room of his home functions as a mini market of sorts selling toilet paper, grains, candy and other odds and ends as well as a chicheria run by David´s mom. Before heading to the kitchen for dinner, we were introduced to the doña and the two elderly neighbors who wore braids, felt hats and sat on their large behinds sipping on their chicha.

In the kitchen was David´s wife, Carmen frying up some of the traditional rodent along with her neice and David´s youngest, Angie. We first were served pints of chicha in enormous glasses to start. The frothy chicha has a decidedly sour flavor and is boasted to be an aphrodisiac. Then on to our main course.

On my plate was boiled potatoes, soggy spaghetti and of course a guinea pig split from nose to tail staring up at me. I didn´t even know where to start so I grabbed a fork and started in on the spaghetti while observing David, Matt and Thomas. Thomas, unsurprisingly, started right in biting at the little creatures behind. David told us that we must eat with our hands like Peruvians do. So I picked up the little guy by the snout and back claw and tried to tear off some skin to no avail. I then decided to flip it over hoping I would have better luck finding some meat on the inside. After observing David a little longer I realized there was some meat on back leg so I moved the tiny paw out of the way and sunk my teeth into the little bit of flesh there was. It tasted a bit like chicken but meatier.

I then went for the ribs but didn´t have the stomach to move any higher than that. After about 15 minutes of staring at my plate and nibbling, I looked over to David who only had a few bones left. After David, Thomas did second best, then Matt and finally me in last. Jason, our dear vegetarian even had a bite of the cuy. We now joke that he only eats exotic meets because he also tried beef heart a few nights before.


Now that we had all finished what we could and were all sufficiently naseous, David said it was time for the macho tea. Macho tea is made of rum, tea, lime and orange with a little sugar cane juice. Peruvians drink it after a particularly greasy meal to settle their stomachs. I must say it did settle mine and was probably my favorite part of the meal. We thanked Carmen for her delicious cooking and made our way back to the chicheria. We chatted a bit more with some of David´s relatives before we were on our way.

All in all it was an unforgettable evening of spectacularly distinct flavors and wonderful company.