Yesterday, friends from the Temple came over for Sunday dinner. Typical in Utah and the intermountain area would be roast beef or some sort of pot roast at least at our house. In Peru things are different, but no less enjoyable and tasty. Our friends had been promising us cuy, 'Alan Garcia' size cuy. It is a joke, since the outgoing President Garcia of Peru is very large, hence any large size cuy are named in his honor by Brother Ramos. This president leaves with a significant majority of Peruvians disapproving of his job for the past five years even though Peru's economy grew second only to China in the world.
 |
| President Garcia did not get this way eating cuy |
Large cuy are very prized and sell first in the markets. 65 million of these creatures were consumed in Peru last year and remain an important part of the diet of the average Peruvian. Since the 17th Century these rodents, neither pigs or from Guinea, have been used as test animals for laboratory experiments, resulting in the epithet, "guinea pig" as a test subject. White mice and rats have largely replaced cuy as the vehicles for laboratory testing.
 |
| Our friends Brother and Sister Ramos with RuthAnn |
No longer found in the wilds of the Andes, they appear to have been entirely domesticated beginning about 7,000 years ago. They are rodents and subsist in table scraps from any home where they are raised. Efforts are being made to develop markets for their meat in Japan, Europe and the US. It is unlikely, at least in the US, there will be much of a market for the meat, rather they are pets for kids. Who has not had a pet guinea pig in their childhood?
 |
Black cuy have important roles in the folklore and traditions of many
Andean peoples and cultures often used in diagnosing and treating diseases. |
In addition to the cuy we enjoyed camote or sweet potatoes, papas amarillo or yellow potatoes, and a side dish we had cooked of quinoa, black beans, chicken, onions and a little aji pepper. We toasted our Alan Garcia cuy, our friendship, Peru's success in the America Futbol Cup, and Arequipa, with some fresh chi cha morada also supplied by our friends.
 |
| The cuy roasted in the pan along with some Peruvian potatoes |
We continue to enjoy life in Peru. We appreciate the Ramos who have introduced us to many new and interesting dishes. Food from Arequipa, even among the Limeños we work with, is recognized as among the very best in all of Peru. It is definitely 'presidential.' We should note also that rumors have been floating around the Area Offices that a third temple will be announced in Peru in the relative near future. We hope it might be in Arequipa, Peru's second largest city.
 |
Cuy on my plate. You cannot be delicate with it and it does
require picking up pieces and using one's fingers to get
the meat from the bones. |
No comments:
Post a Comment