When I first heard that people in Peru eat guinea pigs, I was grossed out and was definitely NOT going to be trying it. But never say never. After being in Cusco for two weeks, the idea started to grow on me since many restaurants’ main item is cuy del horno (oven roasted guinea pig), and of course- when in Rome. I did some research on what people thought about it and also the best restaurants to try, although you can order it at many places in Cusco. I decided I would try it after returning from Machu Picchu since I didn’t want to eat anything exotic before a four day hiking trip. Guinea pigs are native to the Andean region and have always been used for food by the locals. It wasn’t until the Spanish came and decided to start sending the guinea pigs back to Spain that they became pets. People of Peru definitely think it’s bizarre that we have them as pets just as we think it’s weird that they eat them. Now a days, cuy is considered a delicacy and usually eaten at celebrations, weddings, and other special occasions. A lot of the fancy tourist restaurants charge a lot for one, so I wanted to get a local’s opinion on a good spot for a reasonable price and our Machu Picchu tour guide, Elizabeth, knew just the place. I had heard that the cuy were large so I was hoping to find someone to share with, that and also because they can be pricey. One of the girls in our hostel was down, so we all decided to venture out the next evening and the two of us would be the guinea pigs, pun fully intended.

The restaurant Elizabeth mentioned was closed the night we planned to go so we went to another touristy spot which was outrageously expensive for cuy, plus my partner in crime had decided she wasn’t feelin’ it anymore. Alas, we all dined somewhere else. The next day I headed back to Elizabeth’s place and to my disappointment it was closed again! You never really know the hours of the local restaurants, one day they’re open and the next they’re not, so I decided to come back the next day. I was in luck! We got a table and I asked for cuy and the waiter said they didn’t have it today, ugh. He said they weren’t able to get it at the market so it wasn’t on the menu. Great. I was starting to think that maybe I wasn’t meant to eat these cute and cuddly things. I had to return to wifi to research another place and today was our last day in Cusco so it was now or never. There was another place that said it was open and was where a lot of locals along with tourists go to eat typical Peruvian dishes. We sat down, I ordered, and soon enough a fully roasted guinea pig was staring back at me. Head on and all. I wasn’t sure how to eat this thing so I took the plunge and dove right in. It was quite tasty. I can’t compare it to anything I’ve ever eaten before but maybe has similar characteristics to duck. Dark meat, juicy, not gamey at all. There wasn’t a ton of meat on it, or maybe that was just the one I had. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat it again but I’m glad after several attempts I was finally able to try the local fare.