When in Rome...

One of the local specialties in Peru (as well as Ecuador, but I didn't get the chance while I was there) is guinea pig, known as cuy around here. They're not pets here, they're food. I'm not exactly the most adventurous eater, but I do like to do as the locals do, and I even enjoyed reindeer in Norway, so I gave it a shot. I went out for a cuy lunch with some girls I met while staying at The Family House my first week here. I was pretty much gung-ho to try it. I figured, it's just meat. I eat other animals. It probably tastes like chicken, right? Then they brought out our guinea pig, whole. When I saw it's little toes spread out, that's when I got freaked out. The whole guinea pig was only for presentation. After we saw and photographed the poor little guy, they carved him up for us. Basically, they just chopped off his head and cut the rest of him into four parts. The legs (and thus the claws) stayed in tact. I had to pick it up by the claw, which really grossed me out. Even though our waiter told us we were supposed to eat it with our fingers (like chicken wings, I suppose) I couldn't do it. I had to use a fork. I can't really say what it tasted like, but it certainly wasn't chicken, and it certainly wasn't good. There wasn't much meat on it, and the meat that was there was a bit greasy. There was something about it that just kind of grossed me out, (Maybe the fact that I was actually eating guinea pig.) but I think it had something to do with the leg. I did, however, eat three whole bites. I couldn't eat anymore after Katie announced that her piece had a sac attached to it's underbelly. Barf.
Afterwards, I knew I was still hungry, but I had zero appetite. I certainly wasn't hungry for meat. It was my first and last time eating cuy, but hey, at least I tried it, right?