Cuenca was the final stop on my Ecuador adventure and I had yet to experience the most famous of Ecuadorian cuisine, the guinea pig or cuy.
I had the opportunity to taste these little bastards on numerous occasions from street stalls and restaurants around Ecuador but had managed to dodge them until this point.
On one of my last days in Cuenca, I told a local friend I was ready to devour my sister’s childhood pet so she took me to “the best” cuy restaurant in the city – the Guajibamba Restaurant.
The traditional preparation was butterflied and grilled with sides of hot salsas, potatoes and mote hervido (corn cooked in water).
The taste was salty and a bit gamey, almost like a pork-rabbit blend and the skin was my favorite part (although it felt weird enjoying it so much). It was crispy and fatty like the skin on well cooked pork ribs. It would probably be great with some mac and cheese! Maybe a new appetizer idea for Applebee’s?
2 Responses
I’ll pay good money to see that on the menu at Applebees! What did you sister say about you eating her furry friend? Lol
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..6 Free Attractions to See in Buenos Aires
She couldn’t believe it… I always joked about throwing him on the grill but I never thought it was a normal part of people’s diets like it is here in Ecuador. Haha, really weird, sorry Casie!