Eating pigs

[Rev]

edit

Edited April 21, 2007 by Rev

[PD.]

Found this Rev,

Cuy, alternately called Cobayo or conejillo de indias is a guinea pig or cavy. The taste is compared to rabbit, thought delicious, and though difficult to accept for people in other countries who regard guinea pigs as pets, the cuy is a staple of Andean cuisine. They are called "cuy" for the sound they make cuy, cuy.

A typical recipe for baked or barbequed cuy with a hot sauce:

3 or 4 cuys

50 grams of ground toasted corn, or cornmeal

2 kilos of parboiled potatoes, cut in slices

8 cloves of garlic

6 fresh hot peppers, either red or yellow

½ cup oil

½ cup water

salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Rub the cuys with a mix of the pepper, salt, pepper and cumin and bake. You can also skewer over a barbeque.

Prepare a sauce with the oil, peppers, garlic and cornmeal with the water from the potatoes or broth. Cook a few minutes until the peppers are cooked. When tender, place the meat in a serving dish and spoon the sauce over it. Serve with the boiled potatoes.

Another recipe calls for:

4 cuys

1 teaspoon hot pepper

1 tablespoon pisco

garlic to taste

6 fresh hot peppers, either red or yellow

1/4 cup oil

salt, pepper to taste

Season the cleaned cuys with salt, pepper, hot pepper and pisco. Fry in oil five minutes or until cooked.

Serve with a hot pepper sauce, potatoes, either fried or boiled and a salad of cucumber, tomato, lettuce and onion.

Chicha is often served with cuy, as it was in Incan times. Buen provecho!

From wiki;

Chicha is a fermented beverage brewed by the indigenous people of the Andean region, dating back to the Inca Empire when women were taught the techniques of brewing chicha in Acllahuasis (feminine schools). It is traditionally prepared from a specific kind of yellow maize (jora) and is usually referred to as chicha de jora. It has a pale straw color, a slightly milky appearance, and a slightly sour aftertaste, reminiscent of hard apple cider. It is drunk either young and sweet or mature and strong. It contains a slight amount of alcohol, 1-3%.

Enjoy

Edited July 29, 2006 by Passive Daemon

[Maturin]

Now here is a subject I didn't expect to see!!

I definitely would try some cavies if offered - yes, I'm a proud carnivore.

I've always been interested in what other cultures consider good eating. Personally I'm not offended by the Japanese eating whales - so long as they do it sustainably (and yes I am aware of the argument as to wether it is truly 'cultural' or not).

Good luck Rev!

[transDiMenTional]

Any idea how fast they grow? I was thinking of getting some quails or some other small poultry soon for grass/scrap conversion, perhaps guinea piggys are a better idea..

[Torsten]

I used to grow quail - a few hundred of them. Once I started eating them I realised how not-special they are and stopped. Rabbits are good to grow, but the viri are a problem. Some victorian or SA wild crosses wuld probably be good though.

So yeah, I too have arrived at the conclusion that guinea pigs are a good idea. We are already preparing our snake/fox/dog/rat proof chicken run for these new guests and should have the first batch in a couple of weeks. The best thing I think is that they don't really dig much, unlike rabbits who have a habit of eventually disappearing.

I don't think the taste matters much. I doubt they have a strong flavour, so anything with a bit of garlic, soy sauce or chili will make it taste just like chicken

Skillful marination will make just about any meat taste delicious.

[nabraxas]

i thought they were meant to taste like pork, hence the name. Pigs that the sailors ov old could buy for a guinea to keep them from eating the 'long pig' ;)

Edited July 30, 2006 by nabraxas

[teonanacatl]

sweet :D

[planthelper]

yeah, i used to eat them in south america, they are yummy!

if it's ok by law to eat them in oz than i would be interressted in farming them...

on the spit is how they prepare them.

[ramon]

In travel program I sough years ago they deep fried them.

I have vauge memories of them not even skinning them but this doesn't seem right to me now.

[other peoples pubes]

I read about the idea of eating guinea pigs while at Uni in 'The Conserver Society' by Ted Trainer, a big Australian Permaculture guru. It seems like a very sustainable option.

[wandjina]

These guys (Capybara) are considered a delicacy in parts of Sth America....my ex, from Manaus, reckons they are very tasty, but expensive...I've often heard them referred to as 'giant guinea pigs'....not sure how closely they're related to cavies, but they are the worlds largest rodent and fantastic swimmers:

[occidentalis]

These guys (Capybara) are considered a delicacy in parts of Sth America....my ex, from Manaus, reckons they are very tasty, but expensive...I've often heard them referred to as 'giant guinea pigs'....not sure how closely they're related to cavies, but they are the worlds largest rodent and fantastic swimmers:

Yes, and also classified as a fish by invading european christians back in the day.

You see they had to have something to eat on fridays - and capybaras spend a lot of time in the water - so close enough I guess...

[Maturin]

Yes, and also classified as a fish by invading european christians back in the day.

You see they had to have something to eat on fridays - and capybaras spend a lot of time in the water - so close enough I guess...

Best laugh I've had today, that's a classic.

[macro]

When I was in Peru, I only found them at pretty expensive tourist prices, even in the local markets. Hmmm. Friends and fellow travellers had better luck and found them at local prices and say "they're certainly not the nicest thing in the world, you need two to fill you up and make sure their hair has been removed"