Comments on: On the viability of exporting guinea pigs from Peru to China

By: Ignacio Modeste

Ignacio Modeste — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:44:10 +0000

By far the most concise and up to date information I found on this topic. Sure glad that I navigated to your page by accident. I’ll be subscribing to your feed so that I can get the latest updates. Appreciate all the information here

By: From Peru with love: Cuy on China’s Tables? « Asian Food

From Peru with love: Cuy on China’s Tables? « Asian Food — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:02:26 +0000

[...] the cuy. As the intriguing blog Double Handshake explains, the cuy, better know in the English-speaking world as the guinea pig, is a favored [...]

By: cubrikaska

cubrikaska — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:35:32 +0000

Este mensaje, es incomparable)))

By: Joel

Joel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:58:28 +0000

I’m a USA expat living in Peru. I’ve acquired a ranch property for commercial production of cuyes in Chiclayo Peru. The local government Agricultural service has been very helpful.
Growing Cuyes in the proper environment for food production takes a substantial investment of time and money to insure a high quality and healthful product. A proper building, organic feed, large, clean pens, pure water, and constant care are required, not to mention accurate record keeping and health monitoring. I am very interested in the export market. And I’m looking for experienced exporters to supply.
Cuy is enjoyed using many different cooking methods. Depending on the cook, cuy can taste similar to “dark-meat” chicken but with a heartier flavor. I find the taste more satisfying in general than chicken. It has a mild flavor but isn’t bland like chicken. Depending on your comfort-recipe favorites for chicken, pork, or beef, substituting cuy in most of your meat dish recipes will provide a surpisingly pleasing taste.
For Gringos, it’s necessary to “dress” the cuy for palatable presentation. Not many Americans actually enjoy meat products with the head and feet still attached. Fish and pigs served with the head on aren’t as popular as they once were.
The world needs quality high protean low fat food products that have a pleasing flavor. Cuy meat produced properly will help to meet that need while remaining very cost efficient to the consumer.
One last comment for the adventurous spirit who might venture out to a pet store for groceries. Don’t. Guinea Pigs in the US are cute little pets. They are not grown in a manner remotely safe for eating. Don’t do it. Many animals sold in pet stores are not well in any case. They are certainly not intended to be consumed as food. Besides, they are small and hardly worth the effort even if it weren’t risky. Commercially bred Cuyes are a much larger animal that is both safe to eat and healthful. Bon appetite’.

By: 7 Strange Animals Bred for Business Purposes | Technology you can trust here...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:20:23 +0000

[...] said that guinea pigs will feed a family of up to eight people for only USD $3.20. Peruvians eat about 65 million guinea pigs per [...]

By: 7 Strange Animals Bred for Business Purposes | Business Pundit

7 Strange Animals Bred for Business Purposes | Business Pundit — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:34:56 +0000

[...] said that guinea pigs will feed a family of up to eight people for only USD $3.20. Peruvians eat about 65 million guinea pigs per [...]

By: Susan M Khaury

Susan M Khaury — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:38:12 +0000

How can I buy one of these super large guinea pigs as a pet? I always wished guinea pigs were larger. smkhaury@aol.com

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:36:57 +0000

To shar,

I believe what you have seen are mouses or rats. (I was in Luang Prabang market last week as well.)

By: shar

shar — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:54:17 +0000

I swear I saw guinea pigs (or something similar) at a market in Luang Prabang, Laos last week.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:31:04 +0000

Patrick: Yes, there’s a lot of culinary weirdness to embrace in China, my thought is: Embrace it. And if you’re ever feeling unduly brave, checking out weirdmeat.com will put your feet back on the ground. Now THAT is weird meat! Cuy = koo-ee

Jin-Tee: Good to know. I’ve always wondered whether the Chinese say unfamiliar meat “tastes like chicken” the same way, say, Americans do. I’d imagine “char siu” would be their stepping stone.

Vivian: Don’t doubt it. Most cuy on the menus around Peru I’ve seen has deep-fried the critters, but crispy cuy with plum sauce and spring onions a la Beijing kaoya seems like it would work as well.

Tim: Indeed. I have yet to find that kind of playful irony in any restaurant I’ve been to on the mainland. Here’s hoping…