A restaurant has been selling roasted whole guinea pigs like ‘hotcakes’ as foodies can’t get enough of the Ecuadorian delicacy on offer in the traditional eatery
Many people have guinea pigs as pets, but now some foodies are enjoying them as a delicacy instead.
A New York restaurant has gone viral for its unusual menu offering – and people are calling it ‘delicious’. It’s always fun trying new delicacies, but some less adventurous diners were left stunned when they saw the eatery advertising roast guinea pig.
Hotspot La Casa Del Cuy – translated to “the house of guinea pig” – has become a go-to in Queens and says the dish has been “selling like hotcakes”.
Guinea pig is a popular cuisine in Ecuador, but it’s not something you commonly see on the menu in America or the UK for that matter. But people have been devouring the roasted rodents and some even say it’s ‘nicer than chicken’.
“It’s better than chicken. Better than rabbit,” manager Lucio Barrera told The New York Post, adding that the head is the “best part”. His restaurant is packed out most nights, with hungry diners tearing into the 1KG animals, that can measure around 40cm long.
The $116 (£86) dish is “selling like hotcakes” according to Lucio, and the restaurant is now having to order the rodents in “large quantities” to keep up with the demand. They are being sourced from a small Ecuadorian farm, but can take a while due to being processed at customs.
Lucio, who hails from Cuenca, Ecuador runs the restaurant with his husband Marcelo Barrera. The pair originally specialised in rotisserie chicken but started serving guinea pigs during COVID-19 after a demand from Ecuadorian residents in the area who wanted a “taste of home”.
“So all the people drive [to] North Boulevard, they start asking, ‘Why don’t you do cuy (guinea pig) instead of chicken?’ [so] I said, ‘Let’s do something because life is too short’,” he explained. Guinea pig has been a staple food among South American communities for thousands of years and is loved for their low fat and high protein content.
They are also much easier to raise and are said to be more sustainable and profitable compared to cows and other livestock due to requiring less space and fewer resources. Lucio proudly said he eats it every day, and his restaurant offers up the food which is marinated in garlic and other spices before being placed over a flame in an outdoor rotisserie.
They are then rotated on the carousel until crackling and bronzed. Once cooked, the carcass is served on a bed of rice with potatoes and mote corn – and a side of peanut sauce. They are then cut apart with heavy-duty scissors and devoured.
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