We Americans tend to have food prejudices but never question our fondness for eating lambkins, little Porky Pigs, baby cows, adult hormone-injected steers, the ubiquitous (and tasteless) chicken, the almost chicken--egg, the Dolly Parton turkeys that are bred for Thanksgiving, and even the Easter Bunny? Lobsters and crabs aren't cute (what insect relative is?), so it's possible to eat a guiltless meal of homard l'Amérique and not shed tears. Same goes for clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. I don't have to look them in the eye (as I sadly do with lobsters) before I eat them.
Will the cute and cuddly guinea pig that little Josh and Emily named and kept as pets catch on as a backyard staple for a family barbecue, along with cole slaw and potato salad? Who knows. But if I were a big-time meat eater, I'd go for a nicely grilled cavia porcellus before a hunk of antibiotic and hormone soaked chunk of marbleized beef.
"Guinea Pigs, an Adorable—and Tasty—Dinner Companion A delicacy in the Andes is making its way to the United States in ever-growing numbers.
April 8, 2013 • By Michael Todd, Pacific Standard
Feeling a little peckish but don’t want a lot? How about some animal protein already packaged in (American) snack size? According to NPR, more people are eating guinea pigs, previously best known on these shores for being, well, guinea pigs in the nation’s laboratories (and for not being hamsters). And unlike the Western world’s unwitting horse eaters, at least the guinea pigs are instantly recognizable as such since they’re usually served whole, from two-tooth death rictus to meaty rump.
Having been sensitized by the writing of Jack Shafer over the years, I wondered how real this trend toward eating something most people bring home from the pet store, and not the butcher, might be. NPR’s Alastair Bland didn’t exactly answer that question, but did show his work in trying—and failing—to get a quantitative answer to back up the premise. His anecdotal information–one importer brings in a thousand of the animals a year compared to 600 a while ago—does indicate growth fueled by South American expats and adventurous gastronauts but no fear of a Guinea McNuggets future.
Dining on guinea pigs isn’t a recent backlash against Cute Overload. In the Andes Mountains, where the miniature livestock are known as cuy, guinea pig is a delicacy, medical device, and even hard (if cuddly) currency. Visit an animal market in some mountain town—I particularly recall the well-known Otovalo market in Ecuador—and among the various large animals and chickens will be baskets and pens of live guinea pigs. Purchasers usually aren’t bringing a few home for tonight’s dinner, but to stock up a kitchen larder where the critters are often allowed to run free (and perhaps create a new generation of meals). And yes, to my eyes they were just as adorable as any guinea pigs raised for play instead of the plate."
Okay. All you meat eaters out there. Would you order a cute little roasted rodent for dinner? If so, why; if not, why not?
h/t Andrew Sullivan's blog
7 comments:
I ate Guinea Pig (Cui, in Spanish) when I lived in the Andes.
It was OK. We Americans are aquisitive people, including with out gustatory desires, so I guess it was just a matter of time. Horsemeat anyone?
I had horsemeat in the form of carpaccio in Italy.
Only once.
Meh.
First of all thank you, Ms Shaw, for your kind birthday greeting. It's a much appreciated pleasant surprise.
As for the new (to us) culinary delight, I don't think I could manage to eat a guinea pig, or a hamster or a little bunny rabbit either for that matter. It would be too close -- for me -- to killing, skinning and baking or sautéing a kitten or a puppy, which would be UNTHINKABLE to me.
I am so fond of my two cats I believe I'd rather starve to death than do anything to harm either one.
However, it's a matter of cultural differences. What seems right and normal to us may not not seem that way to other peoples. Normal is only what the majority in any given society say it is,
I love Chinese food -- as we know it here in the USA --, but I remember receiving an email once that showed a huge market in one of the big cities in China. Dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, snakes, toads, worms, bats, lizards, insects, rodents -- you name it -- were all neatly butchered and displayed on ice. Off to one side was a huge cauldron identified as HORSE and DOG STEW. (:-o
I have always considered myself an adventurous eater, and love such things as snails, squid, octopus, shad roe, tripe, sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, calves brains, and chitterlings, BUT I might change my mind very quickly if I had to witness these creatures -- especially fellow mammals -- being slaughtered.
I've eaten venison with pleasure, but very rarely.
I've read the emu and bison are excellent sources of protein, but somehow the idea leaves me cold.
Why shucks! I even have tender feelings about mice.
Rats are repulsive, but I sill sympathize with them. After all, they can't help being what they are, can they?
I have eaten French-fried grasshoppers and chocolate covered ants with no ill effects. In fact the grasshoppers were delicious -- tasted a lot like pepitas, if you remember what those are.
I eat vegetarian meals with fair frequency, but only because I love vegetables, not for moral or political purposes.
I admit I've always wanted to try authentic Brunswick stew complete with squirrel meat, but as I get older, the desire has become less and less acute.
There's something about the flippant tone of the article cited I find off-putting. I don't admire that kind of emotionally-detached, above-it-all, quasi-sarcastic style of writing, but the article WAS interesting.
Years go I heard of a restaurant opening in baltimore that served nothing but BUGS of myriad varieties. I always meant to go over there and try it out, but I never did. Don't know whether it ever caught on or not. This was at least twenty years ago.
If the guinea pigs were made into cutlets, and it wasn't so painfully obvious what they were, I might be able to eat one. It would have to be in a stew or en casserole, however.
"Psychology" plays a big part in these things.
Fifteen or twenty yeas ago I would have had no qualms about eating anything I knew was not poisonous. As one gets older, however, life seems more and more precious, and one's respect for it grows.
I'm no Albert Schweitzer, but I'm getting closer, as time wears on.
nah, I'll pass. Ate enough squirrel and rabbit growing up with my older brother, the great white hunter.
But I remember my ex's cooking....she could make anything taste like a rodent.
Had horsemeat as well, enjoyed it. As well as alligator, and many other uncommon dishes by American culinary standards.
I've always followed the "try anything (almost) once and if I like it I'll eat it again."
Ever try cabrito? Also known as goat.
Yes, I've eaten goat. We have several markets that sell it here on Blackstone Street in the North End. Tried it once.
I prefer goat cheese.
Most of Ireland only in recent months came to realise that its greatest export is horsemeast - in recently years there has been a shortage of Guinea Pigs in local pet stores. It seems that this once ceremonial feast dish is now so widely eaten by ex-Pat forrmer Incas and Mayas, that they are becoming an endangered species. Anyone ever eat Asian food, and not consider how many of the dishes have cat, dog, whale or dolphin in them - you think that Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese meals are possible without them; cop yourselves on? The Song # Cat in the Kettle # ("Weird Al" Yankovic) is not an oddity, when you go and get sweet and sour chicken balls - you are maybe really eating Garfield on your fork! Chicken is rare to find in Asia, due to mass-exterminations due to bird-flu ... you get whatever you can. You never wonder why Asian restaurants often have hundreds of tins of cat food? What you think, you getting sweet and sour catfood - or sweet and sour cat? Think aboujt it!
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