What I've come to learn, though, is that what's typical depends a lot on where you're from. From my perspective, pepper pushes the culinary envelope far . Cuy also have a more irritable temperament. Life has so many contradictions when you search for them. To my surprise, most of the houses had lots of guinea pigs inside, forming what appeared to be furry, moving carpets. After he asked his host/driver about it, not knowing why there would be so many dogs in one space, the driver enthusiastically asked if he enjoyed eating dog. You'd think such a huge animal wouldn't be hard to miss. Served either whole or cut up, either way it is pretty graphic. Whilst there is evidence to suggest Europeans have never commonly eaten guinea pig, that is not the case in South America. It takes between 3 and 5 months to get a Guinea pig to process weight between 1.3 and 2 lbs, yielding between 0.7 and 1lb of meat. Regardless of whether one would consider eating guinea pig, these creatures provide food for thought for how humans and other animals continue to be entangled in fascinating, fraught, and ever-changing ways. Yes, Morty was not large, and I suspect that the prep cook raising them in his garage knew he wasn't as large as those he ate in Ecuador, but it was what he had access to. (For the record, guinea pigs belong to the genus Cavia, which falls under the order Rodentia.). As more and more Andean farmers look to cuy raising as a way to augment their incomes, and the practice becomes more industrialized, the animals place as a household companion worthy of affection and humane treatment also seems to be changing. The Animal Studies bibliography is an ongoing project of the Animal Studies Program at Michigan State University. A female is fertile for about 6 to 11 . She'd given the damn thing a name, and made little cooing noises at it, and now it felt like some boundary had been crossed. They also require a much more diverse meal plan to be healthy than what most people realize. Instead, they are a traditional and important source of protein in the Andes, where they are known as cuy (pronounced coo-ee ), named after the sound the animal makes. "Very, very good," says Buckwheat Queen. Guinea pigs at a farm for the animals in Puno, Peru, where they're considered a delicacy. To my surprise, most of the houses had lots of guinea pigs inside, forming what appeared to be furry, moving carpets. At first, I felt a little bit of a loss: What about the burning culinary questions I had and all the statements I wanted to make? Guinea pigs can be raised with exercise equipment and stairs to make up for lack of room. And this tradition has continued to this day. Your feeling is based in your cultural upbringingand personal experience, and those can evolveover time. What follows is my experience trying to raise and eat a Guinea pig. An easy way to check if your guinea pig has too much calcium in their diet is to watch out for milky white deposits in their urine. It was a delight to read you story because I also had Guinea pigs as a kid and when I realized people also eat them I was immediately intrigued! The animals go for $17 a plate, each cuy splayed down the middle like a lobster and served with a front leg and a back, an eye, an ear and a nostril. Today the practice has been increasingly accepted and even celebrated by urbanites who see it as part of their culinary heritage. RT is a BBS style forum, so it's not just my thoughts, it is many people taking part in a discussion. The girls have a big cage like the one you have. One portion of Cuy is good to share between two people and also comes served with potatoes, beans and corn. "Es un animal pequeno, como un grande ratn. I agree with all of that. They have been valued not only as a rich source of protein but as a ceremonial food and traditional medicine. The real difference between meat that's appropriate or inappropriate to eat is decided by each of us, and as my friend Hank Shaw puts it: "We all draw our own lines." In the next few days, she began referring to it as "Maggie." Carmensaid she would look into it for me, and I forgot about it for a couple weeks. Celery Leaves Chop into small chunks and remove vein to avoid chocking, Swiss and Red chard Can cause diarrhoea, Spinach Use caution as too much can cause kidney and bladder stones, Brussels Sprouts Introduce slowly as may cause bloating, Parsley (curly or plain) It is high in calcium though. She was aware of the guinea pig goings-on, but had wanted to steer clear to save herself heartbreak. So definitely more planet friendly.Ive given up beef in my diet. There's areethics questions, too, of course: What makes a rabbit raised for meat different than one a sitting in a child's lap? Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Riso Venere ai Gamberetti e Zucchini (Venus Black Rice with Prawns and Zucchini) View Recipe. Guinea pig, better known as cuy, is reported to taste like chicken or a combination of rabbit and duck. Leave for 12 hours at first and then adjust according to you taste. Para Navidad, tenemos quarenta." My girlfriendtold me that she was just trying to help keep this poor little guinea pigcomfortable, but something inside me knew that my soul-searching foray into guinea pig cookery was now doomed. Many of these prohibitions constitute taboos. Ensure water doesn't freeze in winter. The meat is flavorful, the texture is fatty and rich, and the skin somewhat tough or crispy, depending on how it's cooked. As more and more Andean farmers look to cuy raising as a way to augment their incomes, and the practice becomes more industrialized, the animals place as a household companion worthy of affection and humane treatment also seems to be changing. 2022 Edition. Widespread consumption of guinea pig would certainly be one way to offset this damage.I was surprised to find that guinea pig tasted a lot like rabbit. The skin is extra salty and is fried to the point where it cracks as you cut it. I think that prey animals will have less of a dichotomy. So call me cruel, but when I decided to come to Cusco, I was ecstatic about eating a guinea pig, or as the Peruvians call it, "cuy" (COO-ee). From a personal point of view, I would definitely recommend Cuencas restaurant Tres Estrellas in which to try guinea pig. I love the storytelling In this piece- but I'd like to challenge you on the ethics of giving a guinea pig intended to be food away as a pet. The babies are raised with just as much care and love. The taste of guinea pig is difficult to describe and depends on how it is cooked. Best Answer. These three nations, along with Peru, make up the Andean Community of Nations (CAN). Based on the article the answer to your question seems to mostly be "because the country doesn't have the laws in place to regulate its production and sale," basically. Whats so hard about that! We would love to hear from you! Hamsters and guinea pigs have different food preferences and nutritious needs. They are also low in cholesterol, with only 8% fat, much leaner than other meats, making them an ideal choice for weight loss. A 750 pound steer can forage on grass alone if needed. The Environmental Impact of Eating Guinea Pig. Cuy is high in protein and lower in cholesterol making it arguably a healthier choice than many other types of meat. I took that as a no. Header photo by Nestor Lacle under CC by 2.0 Flickr.com. It wasn't the Taj Mahal, but I did have a great selection of fresh vegetables to give it every day. Dandelion Greens - Ensure these are free from animal urine if collecting from the wild. I suspect that as prey animals, the transition from well treated pasture raised livestock animal to constantly doted on indoor pet could actually be pretty stressful for them, and they would end up in an animal shelter (that are already overrun with small animals that no one wants because they're not cute baby bunnies for Easter), or worse, cruelly released into parking lots and woods to 'fend for themselves'. I can't dispatch large animals myself there's just something about how you need to do it that stops me. Crispy, flavorful. Now, Urubamba customers can expect cuy on the menu about one weekend each month. Talking about eating Guinea pig meat as if it were the same as eating chicken or cow meat helped Drew understand how customs help shape people's everyday reality. I have been told by locals to avoid the rainforest regions and instead try Cuy in the Andes mountain range. Leonardos concession of some people liking it speaks to these changing attitudes. Guinea pig is making its way onto restaurant menus in larger Andean cities and beyond. This healthy broccoli rabe and turkey sausage lasagna recipe has plenty of vegetables and goes light on sausage, so it's lower in fat and calories than traditional lasagna recipes. 2018 has been a year of firsts for me. I have never eaten one that was purchased in a pet store and lived in a confined space, but am pretty sure it wont be the same. Africa is a direct result of massive over-cultivation. Tim and I decided to put Cuy in our Ecuador itinerary and try it in the city of Cuenca. Not all pellets are equal so aim to buy the ones that are not too high in calcium as this can lead to kidney and bladder stones. I didn't know exactly what it was, so I asked. Can dogs get sick from eating guinea pig poop? It is not a recent development that has seen guinea pigs end up on the plates of humans. This is why we have decided to put together our Guinea Pig feeding Guide Before reading this guide its useful to read our other articles on What can I feed my guinea pig along with What is a guinea pigs diet? Garca describes commercial breeder farms where female guinea pigs are continuously impregnated until they are slaughtered, and she recounts how seeing these conditions up close during a visit to a farm north of Lima left her grieving. Then, one night my girlfriend stopped by. Many food taboos and other prohibitions forbid the meat of a particular animal, including mammals, rodents, reptiles . But in recent decades, urban Peruvians, particularly those of mestizos descent (ie with mixed European and Andean . They often raise the animals themselves to ensure they are eating . It's the same with my chickens. Regardless of whether one would consider eating guinea pig, these creatures provide food for thought for how humans and other animals continue to be entangled in fascinating, fraught, and ever-changing ways. My motto is if it lies on my plate long enough for me to stab it with a fork, Ill eat it.I envy you your ability to travel the world. Not only is the meat very good for you health-wise but there are also huge environmental benefits to farming guinea pig over cattle. In the guinea pig community, we call the Peruvian ones "cuy" and distinguish them, because there are actually plenty of differences. Grass hay, in particular, is the best for wearing down teeth and aids a healthy digestive system. However, the consequences of this phenomenon have not always been positive. But Leonardos assumptions dont quite align with culinary trends. Having always appreciated how cute guinea pigs are, I wondered how I would cope with trying to eat one. They have been valued not only as a rich source of protein but as a ceremonial food and traditional medicine. I cant understand the concept of killing a whole being for one meal that is probably going to leave you hungry in 20 minutes, but to each their own I guess. For me, as an anthropologist, witnessing the physical intimacy between humans and guinea pigs in the Andes was a fascinating reminder that the boundaries between humans and nonhumans, and inside and outside, remain culturally contingent. I know that it isnt going to be for everyone but I believe that there are only benefits to be had by putting guinea pig on the menu. The consensus seems to be that no matter your opinion on eating guinea pig from a moral point of view, the quality of the cooking tends to be make or break when it comes to enjoyment. The asparagine in their meat also helps fight cancer. Research by Peru's national health institute has shown that cuy has greater nutritional value than poultry, beef or lamb. Carrots contain high amounts of Vitamin A which can cause liver problems. Just like squirrels, possums and rabbits. . Updated on 02/5/23. Fish and poultry are more common than red meat in this diet. More significantly, beyond serving as a tourist attraction, cuy has been elevated in recent years from peasant food into haute cuisine. The anthropologist Ral Matta sees the recent elevation of Indigenous ingredients as a form of culinary gentrification. Simply put, as eating local becomes more fashionable around the world, wealthier elites have been rediscovering time-honored Indigenous foods and beverages. My ideas about the ethics and morality aside, in researching some of the points made in this blog I found them to be highly flawed, which is not surprising considering the lack of sources sighted and research included. Glad you liked it Luis, that was my goal. While guinea pig may be attaining star status as a hold-your-nose-and-roll-the-camera bizarre food, whether an animal so favored as a pet in the United States will become a mainstream piece of protein is, perhaps, doubtful. Guinea pigs reproduce fast, taking up very little space and efficiently processing their simple diet of grass and vegetable scraps. hide caption. The eating of guinea pig remains controversial, however. Who knows. They have a higher protein and lower cholesterol level than beef or chicken, and actually have omega 3s. In the local language, Kichwa, the name for this epicurean oddity is cuy, supposedly an imitation of their bird-like peep. Fresh hay and fresh leafy vegetables should make up the bulk of your guinea pig's diet. The Incas are believed to have domesticated the tender guinea pigs for more than 5,000 years. A guinea pig only needs 4. His ambivalence reflects the changing attitudes about the guinea pig among Peruvians, especially the majority who identify, like Leonardo does, as mestizo, or a person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. Farmed rabbit, as it gets less excercise, is more fatty, and has naturally tender meat as they're harvested at a younger age, because of that, it can be cooked slow or fast. Other South American countries that eat guinea pigs include Bolivia, Columbia and Ecuador. These quantities are what you should aim for daily. Introducing the Ultimate Guinea Pig Christmas Gift Guide Updated for 2022! Guinea pigs are also high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. For example, some migrants from the Ecuadorian highlands who now live in the U.S. consume cuy, reaffirming a sense of cultural identity and belonging to their native land. I would say it is most similar to a good pork crackling. My best description is: Imagine when the Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven, and you go for the wings and the skin. In Los Angeles, Helen Springut, co-founder of the adventurous eaters club Gastronauts, says guinea pig is a food worth pursuing only as a cultural experience. The animals that would have the greatest behavioral differences, at least to me, seem to be those up the food chain a bit. Manage Settings Do you eat guinea pig? I asked Leonardo. The current cycle and scale of meat production is unsustainable and we need to seriously reconsider more efficient (and humane) ways to produce meat. I used to sell 1 rabbit leg on a plate for 30$, easy. To help start a home guinea pig farm, Heifer International typically supplies a family with one male and seven females. The Campbells also eat quail, wallaby, possum and rabbit. By calling the guinea pig a rat, Leonardo was not only making a taxonomically accurate statement, he was expressing a disdain toward eating rat that he expected would be shared by foreign travelers like me. Your email address will not be published. Then, one night my girlfriend stopped by. By Jim Ferri. They're not pigs and they don't come from guinea. The guinea pig arrived pre-cut into sections but complete with all of its limbs and head. As I experienced firsthand on my visit to Peru, guinea pig is now a highlight of the tasting menus of Maido and Central, recognized as some of the best restaurants not only in Lima but in the world. I First Time Trying Guinea Pigs. Would you eat a rat?, I took that as a no. It's been fascinating learning about them. That means that they just eat fruits and veggiesno dairy, eggs, meat, or insects for these little guys. Guinea pigs need to be fed Vitamin C rich foods daily in order to keep healthy and ward off disease. BLASTN programs search SRA databases using a nucleotide query. I found this WordPress post while Googling for English speaking people interested in raising guinea pigs/cuy for food. Our guinea pig feeding guide is our version of The Eatwell guide which is a document produced in the UK that shows how much we should eat every day. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. For instance, some proponents suggest that guinea pig consumption has less of an environmental impact than the beef and pork .