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.
Having been mind blown by the epic sight of Machu Picchu and having just finished the four day Inca Trail, we were all in good spirits. It's a magical place. Our tour guides invited us for lunch in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes in Peru. We were meeting at 3pm. It was Christmas Day. I was hungry and was hoping to try some local food.
As a child Christmas Dinner was always a special occassion. It was nice that I could visit the church in Aguas Calientes before heading to Chaski Restaurant for the Peruvian Christmas Dinner, with a difference.
I had never eaten Guinea Pig in my life so I was looking immensely forward to it. Apparently Ecuador and Peru are the main places you can eat guinea pig - somewhat a delicacy. I love trying new food, but if I don't like it, to be honest I don't always finish it!
The Guinea Pig menu came with a choice of two - roasted (which came with potatoes, cheese, salad) or stewed (which came with rice, potatoes and peanut sauce). They were both the same price - 55Soles so I went for the Roasted Option. As a kid I had always had a roasted turkey meal for Christmas so it was time to try roasted Guinea Pig.
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!
Having been mind blown by the epic sight of Machu Picchu and having just finished the four day Inca Trail, we were all in good spirits. It's a magical place. Our tour guides invited us for lunch in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes in Peru. We were meeting at 3pm. It was Christmas Day. I was hungry and was hoping to try some local food.
As a child Christmas Dinner was always a special occassion. It was nice that I could visit the church in Aguas Calientes before heading to Chaski Restaurant for the Peruvian Christmas Dinner, with a difference.
I had never eaten Guinea Pig in my life so I was looking immensely forward to it. Apparently Ecuador and Peru are the main places you can eat guinea pig - somewhat a delicacy. I love trying new food, but if I don't like it, to be honest I don't always finish it!
The Guinea Pig menu came with a choice of two - roasted (which came with potatoes, cheese, salad) or stewed (which came with rice, potatoes and peanut sauce). They were both the same price - 55Soles so I went for the Roasted Option. As a kid I had always had a roasted turkey meal for Christmas so it was time to try roasted Guinea Pig.
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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