Travel with us!
Beyond Voyage
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Gallery
  • Pack
  • Tunes
  • About

Chris' Corner of Culinary Delights- Episode 1: Cuy

5/22/2013

3 Comments

 
Part of the fun of travel is experiencing the way people live in other parts of the world.  One of the most important aspects of this is, of course, the food!  Peru and Colombia are no exception, and boast some pretty unique feasts for the senses.  So with the first stage of our travels drawing to a close, it's time to look back on some of the more interesting delicacies we've sampled in this part of the world.

#1 Cuy

As a friend of ours recently commented, cuy must be some sort of running joke Peruvians play on tourists.  Why would anyone want to eat guinea pig?  Nonetheless, there are entire Peruvian towns dedicated to the cultivation and expert preparation of these furry critters.  Clearly, this was something that could not go unsampled.

Part of the fun of being an active participant in the cuy industry is looking at the many interesting signs above local cuy joints.  Take this variety for example:
Picture
Picture
Something about these seems a little wrong, but they still invoke a good chuckle.

Another typical example will advertise the cuy and include a picture like this:
Picture
I find this one interesting from a marketing perspective.  For example, it's interesting to think that there's some segment of the population that sees it and gets hungrier.

However, the most common examples feature a photo of the cooked cuy prepared in the traditional fashion - something along these lines:
Picture
This type I find sort of intriguing.  I actually find the tomato hat to be a nice touch, adding a bit of playfulness to an already weird meal.  I knew it was only a matter of time before my own dish of cuy arrived, and eagerly awaited this masterful presentation.

Alas, however, when I finally did place my cuy order, it showed up like this:
Picture
Midway through my Cuy meal at Inka Grill in Cusco
Unfortunately, we waited until our last night in Peru to sample the cuy, and were running low on Peruvian cash.  Turns out the #1 local cuy joint in Cusco does not take credit cards, so we had to resort to the touristy spot.  To my dismay, this also meant no tomato hat.  Still, I was also a bit relieved, as I had absolutely no idea how to butcher a whole cuy.

This particular cuy happened to be classed up a bit with some rosemary seasoning, and was then charcoal roasted while brushed with sort of a sweet and sour sauce, adding a nice crisp char to the surfaces.  I am told there is only one way to eat cuy, and that is chicken wing style.  No fork or knife required.  Turns out it was good advice, as eating cuy is a pretty time consuming process.

So how does guinea pig taste?  Ironically, a lot like pork.  Actually, it's an incredibly tasty dish.  The flavor sort of reminded me of the Asian style baby back pork ribs authored by my dad and savored by anyone who's attended one of our BC tailgates.  Would I have it again?  Without a doubt.

Up next:  alpaca, chicharones, Inca Kola and a variety of tropical fruits
3 Comments
Jen
5/22/2013 12:14:44 am

hahaha, tomato hat. So wrong.

Reply
Candy
5/22/2013 02:57:16 am

Red? As in Red Hat Society? Too funny. Looking forward to more tales of eatery.

Reply
Chris
5/24/2013 01:44:04 am

Hi guys, the tomato hat would have made a great dish even better - hopefully the next guinea pig I consume will feature one!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Eva has been traveling for 15+ years, including an 8 month journey around the world.  

    Archives

    October 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Amalfi Coast
    Amazon Rainforest
    Amsterdam
    Argentina
    Art
    Aruba
    Asia
    Austin
    Australia
    Austria
    Award
    Baby
    Bali
    Barcelona
    Beijing
    Belize
    Berlin
    Bogota
    Boston
    Brazil
    BVI
    California
    Cambodia
    Cambridge
    Canada
    Cape Town
    Caribbean
    Cartagena
    Central America
    China
    Colombia
    Connecticut
    Costa Rica
    Cuba
    Culinary Delights
    Cusco
    Europe
    Family
    Family Travel
    Flights
    Florence
    Florida
    Food
    France
    Germany
    Hawaii
    Hong Kong
    Hotels/resorts
    Iceland
    Indonesia
    Ireland
    Italy
    Itineraries
    Lake Titicaca
    Live Like A Local
    Luxury
    Machu Picchu
    Maine
    Malaysia
    Massachusetts
    Mexico
    Nantucket
    New England
    New York
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Pacific Northwest
    Pack
    Paris
    Peru
    Pisa
    Planning
    Prague
    Provence
    Puerto Rico
    Puno
    Rhode Island
    Rincon
    Rome
    Rtw Trip
    Safar
    Safari
    Shanghai
    Sharks
    South Africa
    South America
    Spain
    Switzerland
    Thailand
    Travel Education
    Travel Tips
    Tunes
    Turkey
    Usa
    Vermont
    Washington
    Where To Stay

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.