Two People 361 Days Six Continents

Pronounced koo-E

One of the culinary experiences Leslie was most looking forward to on the first leg of our trip was the chance to try cuy. Yesterday that dream came true!




For those that don't know, cuy=guinea pig.

From Wikipedia:

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes. Traditionally, the animal was usually reserved for ceremonial meals by indigenous people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s it has become more socially acceptable for consumption by all people. It continues to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains highlands; it is also eaten in some areas of Ecuador (mainly in the Sierra) and Colombia. Because guinea pigs require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce extremely quickly, they are a more profitable source of food and income than many traditional stock animals, such as pigs and cows; moreover, they can be raised in an urban environment. Both rural and urban families raise guinea pigs for supplementary income, and the animals are commonly bought and sold at local markets and large-scale municipal fairs. Guinea pig meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and is described as being similar to rabbit and the dark meat of chicken.

Neither of us get particularly hung up on the "what" we are eating so cuy didn't intimidate us really. It was quite good actually, if a bit greasy. It tasted to us sort of like rabbit, sort of like duck. It is served whole for two people with one half lengthwise on one plate and the other half on the other. It is pretty completely intact when served and we found it easiest to eat in the manner you'd eat fried chicken.




We got our cuy at a restaurant that came highly recommended by my Spanish teacher, Veronica. Cuy is her father's favorite food. The restaurant is call Mi Escondite and we'd highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cuenca that wants to try cuy.



Oh, one more thing... Last night while watching the World Series, I realized there is a close resemblance between our cuy and Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. Anyone else see it? ;)