Eating Guinea Pig in Peru

By Jonny Blair

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.


I had just finished the epic Inca Trail, which came to a stunning climax in the lost Inca City of Machu Picchu so spirits were high and I was just in awe of the amazing Sacred Valley in Peru. After the Inca Trail came to a close in Machu Picchu, we had been invited for lunch by our tour guide. We had agreed to meet in Chaski Restaurant in Aguas Calientes, PERU at 3 pm. I was hungry and wanted something local. PLUS, it was Christmas Day!!

When I was a kid Christmas Dinner was always a special meal in our calendar. I headed to church in Aguas Calientes first as it was always a tradition to go to church at Christmas. After that I headed over to the Chaski Restaurant in Aguas Calientes for my Christmas Dinner! Peruvian style!

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.
The entire Guinea Pig was on the plate, as you can see head and all! It was a cheers all round for our big group of Inca Trail survivors as we ate and drank to our hearts content!


So, what you really want to know is was the roasted Guinea Pig it any good? Is it worth trying? As a traveller and a lover of the phrase "I'll try anything once" then I have to say Yes! Go to Peru and try the Roasted Guinea Pig. It was well cooked, a bit roasted and I would say similar to chicken.


You do have to pick at the bones and search hard for genuine large lumps of meat, but definitely worth trying once, especially the effort that was put into making it and the aroma from it. Having eaten as much of it as I could, it was time for a few Christmas Day beers to toast to the success of having completed the 4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. My advice - try Roasted Guinea Pig!! Known as Cuy! You might never get the chance again. Don't Stop Living!