Yes, We Really Ate That...

Every country has it’s national dish. But here it’s definitely not pizza and hamburgers.

It’s cui.

That’s guinea pig to you and me. Giant guinea pig.

Boiled whole… head, teeth, feet, claws.

Jay was served a little one when he worked in a village in Peru five years ago.

We received two big ones a week ago as a gift from a thankful patient.

Each cui costs $15. That plate represents $30. Quite a gift.

I warmed one in the oven for supper. Being brave. Trying to meet this national treat with enthusiasm.

We all laughed and launched many one-liners about our unique supper. The boys even put a little tomato in its mouth and took a picture.
 

But in the end we all had our little bites and chose a second helping of potatoes.

Except Jayson. He dug in like it was chicken.

Did it taste like chicken? That’s what you hope for in a case like this. No, it didn’t. It tasted like fish. My brain couldn’t get past the idea of a land-critter tasting like an aquatic critter. Way too fishy.

So what happened to the second cui? We froze it and warmed it up for the Thanksgiving potluck for all the missionaries. The Ecuadorians in attendance applauded the inclusion of a national dish. The non-Ecuadorians sampled little bits. With 50+ in attendance, there was still plenty to go around. : )

One national dish down, a few more to go.

Ever heard of chicha? It’s the alcohol of the Amazon. 

Villagers chew yucca or manioc root and spit it into a collective bucket where it ferments and later becomes a drink for the whole family.  

Lightly fermented for the children.

Heavily fermented for the men. You get the picture.

Enzymes in the saliva help break down the sugars in the roots and start the process of fermenting. I'd guess the alcohol properties also kill germs. Hope so, because....

This guy drank some.

You smiling? You're not the one who kisses him good night.