That Time I Ate a Guinea Pig

Chelsea Mooney
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read
Instead of a stock photo of a guinea pig- here is a sunset view of Quito, Ecuador. Photo: Chelsea Mooney

Before you start imagining that I ate a cute cubby rodent that was destined to be a 4th grade class pet, please note that I did not go purchase a guinea pig from the local Pet Smart to cook on my barbeque. Back in the summer of 2006, I ate guinea pig (or cuy in Spanish) in Ecuador, while visiting my dear friend and college roommate, Paula.

I know a lot of you are probably still a bit horrified to think that I ate a mammal you may have had for a roommate during your childhood. Think of it this way: Imagine a farm animal that you classify as lovable. For example, I think pigs are absolutely adorable. The fatter they are the more it makes me go “aww” and their little oink oink noises make me smile. The people that live across the street have a couple of them and I love to see them waddle towards the fence looking for a snack when the neighborhood kids visit. However, it doesn’t matter how cute they are. I’m not a vegetarian, and I do occasionally eat bacon, ham, and pork. Do I look at my dinner plate and think about how sweet this animal is when its alive? Nope.

So maybe this analogy is a little insensitive, as I realize that the farm industry has its issues and inhumane animal treatment does happen often in corporate companies. But my point is that anyone that isn’t a vegetarian, eats critters that were once more than just a slab of meat.

Now maybe you are still thinking: “But guinea pigs are pets! They have names, and live in houses. I wouldn’t eat other animals that are typically pets like dogs or cats”. There is a reason I asked you earlier to think of a farm animal and not just any creature of the animal kingdom. I ate this guinea pig (or cuy in Spanish) in Ecuador, where although some people could have guinea pigs as pets it is not overly common. It is more likely that you would find a guinea pig living on a farm, where they raise them to be a food source- just like cows, pigs, and chickens.

Cuy is usually served whole on your plate, still resembling the original living form. The restaurant we went to, had an open kitchen as you walk in where you could view the cuy being roasted over an open fire. Pau was nice (and smart) enough to ask for the dish without the head, so as to make it less daunting.

As fluffy as guinea pigs might appear, a lot of that fluffiness is fur and there isn’t a whole lot of meat on the bones. It tastes a lot like rabbit, which I also tried for the first time that trip. I realize that a lot of people haven’t eaten rabbit either. For purposes of comparing it to something more common- it is kind of like a “gamey poultry” type meat. I feel like chicken is the go-to animal that gets compared to “bizarre” meats, but that’s as close of a description as you’re going to get from me!

Aside from being a tasty exotic meal, there are factors of guinea pig farms that make them environmentally friendly. I recently read a NPR article, “From Pets to Plates: Why More People Are Eating Guinea Pigs”, where Alastair Bland discusses the growing popularity of guinea pigs being served in Latin American restaurants in the United States. Additionally, he talks about ecological issues of farming in South America. Having farms for large animals, like cows, requires much more land and resources to properly take care of them. Guinea pigs are small and don’t require unnecessary clear cutting of forests for living space.

While guinea pig is not a food I plan on incorporating into my day to day diet, I do love it! For all you fellow adventurous eaters out there- if you find yourself travelling in a country such as Ecuador or Peru, I recommend you give it a try.

That Time I

Stories about life, adventure, culture, and the unexpected.

Chelsea Mooney

Written by

I’m a wanderluster aiming to share my adventure and life stories with Medium readers. I’m passionate about international initiatives, yoga, and writing.

That Time I

Stories about life, adventure, culture, and the unexpected.

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