In Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, guinea pig is considered fine dining. Restaurants on the South American coast are struggling to fuel the demand from Andean expats who revel in the rodent meat. Cuyes, as they are called in Spanish, are often cooked whole, deep fried or grilled. It is common practice for diners to eat the rodent from head to tail, savouring every last morsel.

Even activists are encouraging diners to “eat the rodent”. According to greenies, consuming guinea pig is good for the environment. Matt Miller, science writer for The Nature Conservancy said rodents and other small livestock are low impact meat options compared to costly beef. After visiting Colombia several years ago conservation groups encouraged people to consume guinea pig instead of clearing out large portions of the forest for cattle said Miller. Miller said:

They were encouraging people to switch from cattle to guinea pigs. Guinea pigs don’t require the land that cattle do. They can be kept in backyards, or in your home. They’re docile and easy to raise.

The humanitarian organisation, Heifer International assists communities by promoting guinea pig husbandry. According to Jason Woods, assistant for the nonprofit Americas regional program, guinea pigs transfer from pen to plate much more efficiently than cattle.

Heifer International supplies families with one male and seven female guinea pigs to help start a guinea pig farm, with a herd of two males and 20 females being able to sustain a family of six.

Guinea pig in the United States is brought in form Peru, and the owner of a Peruvian food importing business confirmed that guinea pig consumption in the United State is definitely increasing.

A Peruvian restaurant in Queens stated that eight years ago it was not serving guinea pig on the menu, but today customers can expect guinea pig on the menu at least once a month. A plate of guinea pig costs $17 ( R155) and is served with a front leg and a back, an eye, an ear and a nostril.

Miller continued:

There’s a clear cultural prejudice against eating guinea pigs, and rodents in general, in the United States. But finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint is a good idea, and so is eating small livestock, like guinea pigs.

Whether or not this new food will catch on it yet to be seen.

[Source: The Salt]