From the Archives: In recent years, the guinea pig has gone from a humble and ceremonial food eaten in the Andes to a delicacy among urbanites. What’s behind this change in tastes? gideonlasco
guinea pig?” I asked Leonardo. We were perusing the menu in a restaurant in Lima, and I wanted to know what my Peruvian friend thought of the practice of eating“The guinea pig is not a pig!” he replied, shaking his head in disgust. “It’s a rat! Would you eat a rat?”His ambivalence reflects the changing attitudes about the guinea pig among Peruvians, especially the majority who identify, like Leonardo does, as mestizo, or a person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry.
But Leonardo’s assumptions don’t quite align with culinary trends. While some tourists and travel bloggers might be put off by indulging in rodents, others would be excited by the prospect of trying something “exotic.” Eating cuy can earn a person “More significantly, beyond serving as a tourist attraction, cuy has been elevated in recent years from “peasant” food into haute cuisine.
For me, as an anthropologist, witnessing the physical intimacy between humans and guinea pigs in the Andes was a fascinating reminder that the boundaries between humans and nonhumans, and inside and outside, remain culturally contingent. Cuyes were food for villagers, but they were also household companions. The idea of a “pet” did not exist in these households, in the same way that back in my home country of the Philippines,have not always corresponded to Westernized notions of dog ownership.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Peru’s Incan Rope Bridges Are Hanging by a ThreadFrom the Archives: A remarkable ancient technology and tradition of creating suspension bridges to unite communities in the Andes is sadly fading into history.
Read more »
TikTok’s Notorious Pink Sauce Extends Shelf Life With Help From a Dallas CompanyDave’s Gourmet, makers of Dave’s Insanity Sauce, are stepping in to revive Pink Sauce and make it legit (via EaterDallas)
Read more »
Unfortunately, TikTok's Pink Sauce Now Has a Brand DealAfter being accused of poor food safety precautions, the viral Pink Sauce will now be sold commercially by Dave's Gourmet Sauces.
Read more »
TikTok's Pink Sauce Now Has a Brand DealChef Pii conceded to the flaws of her product and its rushed rollout, promising to implement better safeguards for future shipments.
Read more »
Scientists Pump Pig Corpses With Artificial Blood to 'Partially Revive' OrgansA team of researchers using 'OrganEx' technology were able to stave off cell death and partially restart the organ functions of dead pigs.
Read more »
Woman slips out of handcuffs, steals and fires deputy's rifleThe woman was not even originally going to go to jail as she was being detained for acting erratically, officials said.
Read more »