Mine stays a pet.

November 22, 2003 11:19 AM

Okay, Miguel, what wine goes with this? If you like guinea pigs, don't click on this link. Unless you LIKE guinea pig...
posted by konolia (14 comments total)

"The report I did was on the Incas. They ate Guinea Pigs."
posted by homunculus at 11:31 AM on November 22, 2003

What? No recipes for Hamster?
posted by wendell at 11:34 AM on November 22, 2003

The guinea pig is native to the Andes, and whether fried or roasted, it’s a traditional dish known as cuy, which dates back at least fifteen centuries to pre-Incan times. Guinea pigs are kept in pens in the corner of the kitchen until a special occasion, when they are killed and cooked immediately.

No wonder guinea pigs shake and run and shit when you try to pick them up.
posted by stbalbach at 11:42 AM on November 22, 2003

"Tastes: Gamey chicken taste"

That's sooo predictable.
posted by dgaicun at 11:51 AM on November 22, 2003

Eeewww, konolia! Why I oughtta take you to MeTa! :)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:48 PM on November 22, 2003

Sounds the perfect accompaniment to a nice pot of tea or a lovely cup of coffee.
posted by seanyboy at 1:58 PM on November 22, 2003

I've never been able to reconcile the idea of guinea pigs as jungle animals.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:05 PM on November 22, 2003

"As well as being a source of food, the guinea pig is also important in folk medicine and native religion. Doctors in Ecuador use guinea pigs to determine the cause of illness by pressing the creature against the patient’s body until it squeals, revealing the source of the ailment."

Hee hee!
posted by kavasa at 2:28 PM on November 22, 2003

My daughter has a friend whose mother is a Peruvian. During a visit to that country she got acquainted with a family guinea pig. Imagine how horrified she felt when it was served to her for dinner the next day.

Our own guinea pig is Proud to be an American.
posted by konolia at 2:35 PM on November 22, 2003

My, my, what delicate flowers of spring...

You might find this suprising -- konolia especially -- but one variety of guinea pig is a North American delicacy. The Nutria has been part of Louisianna's Cajun/Creole culture, originally serving as a extreme means of sustenance following the Loyalist expansion to the South. More recently, however, the "swamp rat" has been reconsidered as a foodsource as the population numbers of Nutrias are very much out of control.
It's an acquired taste, of course, but not impossible to prepare.

As for what to serve with guinea pig, I'd recommend Bully Hill Meat Market Red. Even if your guests are turned off by the meal, it's still a good table wine.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:02 PM on November 22, 2003

That wine label is certainly...interesting.

Meanwhile, my rule of thumb is, if it has lived in my house and/or I have named it, it's not on the menu.
posted by konolia at 6:24 PM on November 22, 2003

I learned about eating guinea pig in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue a few years back. See, it pays to read the articles.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:21 PM on November 23, 2003

I think I remember from somewhere that Guinea pigs are one of the few mammals in addition to humans that do not manufacture vitamin C in their bodies.
posted by mert at 6:50 AM on November 24, 2003

It's true. That's why ours hollers for cabbage (or an orange slice when he can get it) every time we open the refrigerator door. He has us all very well trained.
posted by konolia at 12:43 PM on November 24, 2003