Would you eat a cooked Guinea Pig?

[Lessara]

Guinea pigs to scamper onto your dinner plate
Peru university researchers breed new new culinary export

The animal is a cuddly companion for millions of children in the United States. But in Peru, the rodent's birthplace, it remains a vital source of protein in rural communities, a mainstay of Andean folk medicine and a common religious sacrifice to the gods.

"It is well known that Peruvians eat guinea pig. Foreigners are more reluctant to eat it as they see the animal as a pet," said Gloria Palacios, director of La Molina National University's project to promote guinea pig exports.

"I think if they become familiar with the cuisine, maybe suddenly they'll give in and be tempted to try it," she said. "It is really delicious."

Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year. It is a dining experience that normally requires two hands to pick scant, sinewy meat from a bony carcass _ often with the head staring up from the plate.

But earlier this year, La Molina university started exporting the "Peruvian Breed" _ faster growing, plumper, tastier guinea pigs _ to the United States, Japan and several European nations that have large Peruvian immigrant populations.

The 1,000 guinea pigs shipped out weekly _ mostly to the United States _ each weigh nearly 2 1/2 pounds, said Dr. Lilia Chauca, head researcher of the breeding project.

In comparison, she said, the guinea pigs raised on alfalfa and vegetable peels in nearly every rural Andean household weigh between 10 1/2 ounces to 1 1/2 pounds.

The meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol and has a distinctive flavor, similar to rabbit. Chauca and her team of researchers at La Molina's National Institute of Agrarian Investigation started the super-size guinea pig project in 1970.

Archaeological evidence shows guinea pigs were domesticated in Peru as far back as 2500 B.C., and had deep cultural and religious significance. Guinea pigs are still a common tool of ritual healers, or "curanderos," who use the animals to diagnose illnesses.

A 17th century native chronicler, Guaman Poma de Ayala, wrote that the Incas sacrificed 1,000 white guinea pigs along with 100 llamas in Cuzco's main plaza each July "so that neither the sun nor the waters would harm the food and the fields."

From the beginning of the Spanish colonization, the Catholic Church brutally suppressed Indian religious icons. But the guinea pig was spared.

Geronimo de Loayza, the first bishop of Lima from 1545 to 1575, refused a request by Spanish priests to order the mass extermination of the rodents, fearing it would spark a rebellion.

The Spanish colonizers made Indian artists paint, weave and carve items with Catholic themes to decorate churches and evangelize the natives. The artists copied prints imported from Europe, but added Peruvian touches.

Today, churches in Lima and Cuzco still display Indian depictions of the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples eating roasted guinea pig.

source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6281125/?GT1=5472)

[bonesigh]

It's enjoyed in Ecuador as well. My ex-wife is from Peru. She never ate guinea pig, although she did tell me that quite a few people do eat them. I eat beef, chicken, pork, and turkey. But I'll have to pass on guinea pig.

-Mike

[potatofree]

If I didn't know what it WAS, I might. I was tricked into eating rabbit once, and it was good. I don't want to THINK about what animal I may have eaten up at the Chinese restaurant n Canada...:D

<looking over at Carl the Guinea Pig merrily chewing on his carrot> I'll pass too....

[cartmanis]

Hmmm, something about eating rodents, just doesn't make my mouth water. That being said, I've had rabbit, but chicken isn't that much different, and a lot easier to come by :)

[astrid]

I could not eat one, one of my sons friends has 2 for pets and we pig sit on occation, they are soooo cute
Astrid

[4beans4me]

Nope, nope, nope.

[ItsTheWooo]

I'll try anything as long as it is cooked and looks like food.

[wwdimmitt]

Sure, I would happily eat guinea pig, especially if I were sampling native Peruvian cuisine.

The pigs we do eat are much smarter, and some of them are very cute also. I have eaten horse, bear, moose, elk, deer, antelope, several kinds of rabbit, and opposum. Why stumble when it comes to guinea pig??

I have secretly wanted to actually taste cat also, but I don't dare admit that to other members of my family, several of whom are dedicated cat lovers.

I couldn't eat dog though, unless I was facing starvation, in which case I am sure I would eat any kind of meat that was available, plus most insects. Too much personal attachment to dogs, it would seem like eating another person, so I'm not really all that consistent, I guess.

[horty]

If I didn't know what it WAS, I might. I was tricked into eating rabbit once, and it was good. I don't want to THINK about what animal I may have eaten up at the Chinese restaurant n Canada...:D

<looking over at Carl the Guinea Pig merrily chewing on his carrot> I'll pass too.... I was thinking the same thing about a mexican restaurant I ate at in Michigan.

[potatofree]

That's just it. We all have our cultural and personal boundaries on what exactly is "food"... even what parts of "acceptable" animals are okay to eat. Those of you who've ever been offered ROcky Mountain Oysters know what I mean. :D

[tom sawyer]

Picachu, our pet gp, wouldn't make a decent meal. Just not enough meat on her bones. Besides, who would eat the bottom of all those stalks of celery we have left over? She's part of the family, even though she does pee on the coffee table occasionally.

Its about time to go squirrel hunting though, I'm hoping Atkins bake mix makes a decent coating for frying those tree rats.

[Nancy LC]

Well, I'm an "adventure eater", so I would definitely try it, as long as someone else prepared it. :p Some people jump out of airplanes for their adrenaline rush, I eat exotic food for mine!

[kyrasdad]

I don't think I would, nope.

[CindyG]

I had a co-worker from Peru. He couldn't wait to go home every year and eat guinea pig. I was raised with them as pets, so nope I wouldn't even try it! I have eaten rabbit, but didn't really care for it. I've eaten frog legs and gator too Yikes! That's about as far as I'll go in adventure eating!

[LukeA]

I wouldn't personally eat guinea pig, since until a year ago i always had guinea pigs as pets, and beleive me they can be a hell of a lot smarter than some dogs....that said though i wouldnt look down on anybody that does eat them, not to much different than eating a cow i say! (as long as the guinea pigs are raised in good humane conditions before being eaten, and are put down in a humane way). However i used to keep rabbits as housepets, but i have eaten rabbit a good few times....

cartmanis: new research shows guinea pigs are not rodents at all. ;)

"The 1,000 guinea pigs shipped out weekly _ mostly to the United States _ each weigh nearly 2 1/2 pounds, said Dr. Lilia Chauca, head researcher of the breeding project."

I find this hilarious, all of the guinea pigs i have ever known personally (dozens and dozens), none of them weighed less than 2 1/4 pounds, and several of mine were approaching 4 pounds, so bigger than some dogs LOL (none were overweight either according to vets).

[tom sawyer]

Barbeque at Kassie's house!

[eryalen]

But earlier this year, La Molina university started exporting the "Peruvian Breed" _ faster growing, plumper, tastier guinea pigs _ to the United States, Japan and several European nations that have large Peruvian immigrant populations.

[eryalen]

Nothing like a good grain finished, well marbled guinea pig

[selphydeg]

Nothing like a good grain finished, well marbled guinea pig:lol: I don't think I will eat them, but some people think I am werid for eating eel, raw fish, thousand year old egg (its not actually that old).

[Kristine]

Would you eat a cooked Guinea Pig?

Well, I would certainly refuse a raw one...

Barbeque at Kassie's house!

:lol:

Eating rodents, for some reason, just seems unappealing.

That said, I'd probably eat GP if it looked and smelled appealing... and I didn't know what it was. :)

Heck, I've had haggis and really liked it.

[honeydust]

It amazes me how society shapes our thoughts on what to eat, and not eat. If people actually knew how nasty a chicken is...I am sure they wouldnt eat those either. I do not eat pork for religious reasons, but even if that didnt play a part of it, I would think twice. I was recently in a Turkish restaurant (love the food) and the person sitting next to me ordered something very odd. It was a sheeps head...that had been skinned..with the eyeballs still attached, and the head was split open so you can easily eat the brains. I of course was having turkish eggs, which consisted of eggs, tomatoes, spices and some kind of meat. While I was wondering how anyone could consume brains, I found out the meat in my eggs was also brains. Still I ate it, because it was very good. GP..well I dont know..I have always considered them to be hairy rats:-D

[nikkil]

Nope - unless I was starving in a Peruvian jungle (brush, forest, whatever) and I caught one.

I've had rabbit, moose, deer, ostrich, alligator, bear -- all good, but the rabbit and the deer I kept thinking about the animal and didn't enjoy it as much as I would have if I hadn't known what it was. Reminds me of one time I made meatloaf with some ground deer meat that was given to us and part way thru the meal I told DS2 what it was and he looked at me with these big eyes and asked me, "you mean I'm eating BAMBI????" and he cried.

I don't like the idea of eating organs other than liver, which I really enjoy and love. Why would I eat these "weird" things when I've got plenty of fish, poultry, beef and pork to eat? I'm adventurous with seasonings and vegetables... :D

[rissa]

I'd try it - provided it wasn't the one in the cage that you buy at PetCo - There's a difference in farmed animals, wild animals and animals groomed for pet life - I'll eat any animal in the wild - in fact, I have eaten most that are in the wild in North America - Its no different to me than eating a squirrel.

[Lessara]

I make a damn good barbaque sauce!! ;)

[tribal]

I guess I have an outside view on this (being vegetarian), but I've always found it funny the lines between acceptable and unacceptable food are.

If I ate meat, I wouldn't discriminate at all.... hmmm, is soylent green low carb???

:)

I have however eaten some weird stuff before I was vegie, like eel, widjuti grub, sugar ants, kangaroo, crocodile, jellyfish etc.

Eel was really good, widjuti grub I had raw (live) which tasted OK, but had a nasty texture.

[Milhafre]

There is at least one restaurant in Brooklyn (http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2000/detail.php3?id=2356) that has been serving cuy (which is actually a relative of what we call guinea pig and not the same as what many North Americans like to keep as pets) for a long time. You can also buy them frozen in Queens (http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/food/features/n_10380/index2.html). Been meaning to get around to it....

[tortoise]

Our guinea pig's enclosure sits on the table next to my computer - he's looking over my shoulder right now, reading this thread. :lol:

Once my daughter's Girl Scout troop was learning about Peru and a woman from Peru came to talk. That same evening, my daughter brought her two guinea pigs in, as it is an animal from that country. The Peruvian woman couldn't imagine keeping them as pets - she only thought of them as food.

It is all cultural. But in the culture in this house, we would not eat GP's!

[Shortdraw]

I had a guinea pig for a pet. Her name was Fuzz and she was really entertaining (in a noisy sort of way).

I currently have two pet chickens and that certainly doesn't stop me from eating other chickens, so I don't think I'd have a problem munching on a GP.

[alrightguy]

The important question is how many carbs in Guinea pigs? :yum: Who knows, it may catch on like Buffalo or Ostrich meat has - Ahhh... I see it now...a new trend....Ads on TV proclaiming "Guinea Pigs: The Other White Meat" sponsored by the Guinea Pig Farmers of America :lol: .

[Stardust]

I don't think I could eat a GP. I always wanted one as a pet as a kid. I have eaten bear, deer, antelope, smoked eel,turkey nuts, rabbit, squirrel and several different forms of fish here in Sweden.

I have a friend from Peru and she talked about how GP's are so good to eat. She also told me a funny story about being at a Swedish animal park-petting zoo with her Swedish husband. They came to a section where they could be in with the animals and included were GP's. She began telling her husband how good they were to eat and smacking her lips when she noticed all the people around them were silent and staring at her. They were horrified at the thought. lol

[LondonIan]

Would you eat a cooked Guinea Pig?
I don't think I could eat a raw one.

[rissa]

I don't think I could eat a raw one.
Oh dear Ian - I adore your wit :)

This whole thread has led me to considering buying a guinea pig - for a pet - I'm not going to eat it.

I'm up in the air though - I'm considering a chinchilla and a hedgehog too. :)

[LondonIan]

Hard to stroke a hedgehog - one wrong move...

[mio1996]

Actually if you considered the guinea pig a delicacy, it would be a reasonably cost effective treat :)

[dodg4kat]

That's just it. We all have our cultural and personal boundaries on what exactly is "food"... even what parts of "acceptable" animals are okay to eat. Those of you who've ever been offered ROcky Mountain Oysters know what I mean. :D

I spent a year living on a cattle ranch in rural Colorado. I've had rocky mountain oysters many times, and I knew what they were when I ate them. They were actually very good, breaded and fried. :yum: I also routinely ate venison, deer sausage, antilope, and wild pig. Having said that, I don't think I could eat guinea pig unless I didn't know what it was.

[potatofree]

:lol: I had the misfortune of working in a bar/restaurant where the "chef" had left the uncut, uncooked "oysters" right on top of what I NEEDED to get out of the freezer for my lunch special. After seeing THAT, there is just no way I sould eat any.

That being said, "real" oysters are not on my list of things to try, either. Anthing that looks like it should be served on a Kleenex is out. :D

[4beans4me]

That being said, "real" oysters are not on my list of things to try, either. Anthing that looks like it should be served on a Kleenex is out.

Amen to that! :lol::lol:

[BlitzedAng]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Lindazkewl]

I think it has a lot to do with aesthetics. Some people see dogs and cats as pets, some see goats and chickens, lizards and snakes as pets. They all have emotions and personalities; just because some don't come when you call or jump on on your lap, doesn't meant that they don't have emotions. Most people wouldn't eat road kill - but the only difference between road kill and the meat we buy in the market is the way it was killed, the handling, and packaging. :Puke:

[AlaskaRoy]

Rodents can be very tasty!
In Alaska, I've eaten porcupine, beaver, and tree squirrel.

[Lessara]

Porcupine? Wow meat that comes with its own set of toothpicks! :lol:

[arc]

This whole thread has led me to considering buying a guinea pig - for a pet - I'm not going to eat it.

I'm up in the air though - I'm considering a chinchilla and a hedgehog too. :)

My wife and I used to have four guineas. They were great and a lot of fun, but over the years, I got more and more allergic to them.

I can walk into a store that sells animals now and tell right away if there are guineas in the store.

[LukeA]

For anybody condidering guinea pigs for pets one of the best sites online for them is www.guinealynx.com :thup: