Travel Series

I Still Struggle With What I Ate In Peru

Vegans, look away

When Sharing Randomly tagged me in Coffee Times’ Most Exotic Food You’ve Eaten tag, I knew exactly what I’d write about.

I just didn’t know if I wanted to write it.

This is a dish that many parts of the world wouldn’t consider consuming, and I wasn’t sure I wanted the judgment.

Upon further reflection, I decided to risk the censure because, after all, it’s a local delicacy. As SR says in their tag, travelers are foodies almost by default. We like adventures in our lives, and in our bellies. So on that note, onward.

I took my first trip to South America in 2014. It was a two-week guided tour of Peru, beginning in Lima and going through the Andes Mountains all the way to Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest lake.

The trip was amazing. I fell for South America the first time I saw her, and the crush continues. I’ve been there several times since, and I highly recommend it.

What really strikes me is the variation — of people, landscapes, cultures, and food. It’s a rich and vibrant place.

There are elements of guided tours I don’t love. Sometimes it’s annoying to have your schedule planned for you. What if you want to stay longer at a specific stop? Sorry, not possible.

Also, wheeling into tiny stone streets made by Incas in a giant bus feels pretty cringe, if you know what I mean. Not exactly blending in with the locals.

That said, Our tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable and fun. I wouldn’t have learned all that I did about Peru’s history and experienced so much so seamlessly without them. Tourism is a huge industry there, and it’s competitive. Our guides took a 4-year program to get their jobs. It’s evident by the quality of the experience.

After about a week we went to one of the higher altitude towns in the Andes Mountains called Chinchero in Cusco. Many of the locals live a very traditional Peruvian life, and we were able to see them spin and dye wool, and shop in the colorful marketplaces.

For dinner, we were told we’d be having a local specialty. My stomach got a little knotty when I figured out what that meant.

Several times that week, our guides mentioned cuy, a Peruvian delicacy. It’s not an everyday meal. It’s special, enjoyed in times of celebration.

So special, in fact, that a Peruvian artist’s rendition of The Last Supper features this dish.

Sure enough, when we sat down, it was announced with great fanfare that we’d get to sample cuy. I tried to look excited.

If you haven’t been to Peru before and don’t speak Spanish, you’re likely not familiar with cuy.

It’s guinea pig.

I’m an omnivore. While I love animals and feel ambivalent about eating meat, I typically have it several times per week. So eating cuy shouldn’t have thrown me. But in Canada, like many other parts of the world, guinea pigs are considered pets.

I recognize the hypocrisy of considering some animals cherished companions while eating others. The decision on what animals are okay to eat is culturally driven. But when you think about it, why should it be? There’s nothing inherently better about a guinea pig than a cow, chicken, or fish. Cows and pigs in particular are known to be quite intelligent. And personally, I believe all animals are sentient beings.

So why am I okay eating one but not the other?

The other side of this equation is wanting to respect cultural norms. In Peru, this is a splurge meal. It was being presented to us as a treat. I didn’t want to be disrespectful of our hosts.

Mercifully, the meat was served pre-cut, so we didn’t have to see the animal. After dinner, the chefs and servers came out and showed us what cuy looks like before it’s carved.

If you know what animal it is, you can plainly see it. I’m so glad they presented this afterward.

To eat it, I had to clear my mind and just let go. But even with my hesitation, I have to say, cuy is delicious. It’s savory and briny, tasting something like ham. It’s also rich, like duck. The skin was crispy.

There’s a joke that most meat can be compared to chicken or beef. Cuy tastes like nothing I’ve tried before.

So much of the food we ate in Peru was fresh, local, and delicious. There was incredible range, from the urban seafood delights of Lima to the heartier dishes in the chilly Andes.

I still feel a little twingy when I see a guinea pig. I’m not going to rush to order cuy again. But I enjoyed the beauty and hospitality of the region. Savoring a local delicacy brings you closer to the people, and I guess from that perspective, I’m glad I did it.

Since we’re talking Latin food, I wanted to share my Medium pal Sara Burdick’s piece on her favorite foods in Colombia. I can attest, Colombian food is delicious!

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