To some, guinea pigs are adorable, fluffy pets. But in Peru, cuy as they are called, are a staple food that has been eaten since Incan times. Two paintings of The Last Supper, in churches in Cusco and Lima, depict a whole roasted guinea pig. A good protein source, the rodents are low in fat, easy to raise in small spaces, and require little preparation before cooking, save for removing the hair. They also multiply rapidly.
Sophie Coe, a culinary historian, wrote in America's First Cuisines that two males and 20 females are said to be able to provide a family with a cuy a day. Will eating guinea pig become the next big global food trend? That's unlikely, given that many consider them pets.
But Peruvian cuisine is tipped to be the hot new craze. It's a blend of indigenous cooking, with Spanish, African, Chinese, Japanese and Italian influences. Peruvian restaurants in New York, London and Los Angeles have recently opened to rave reviews.
Lima's Astrid Y Gaston is number 35 on the Top 50 Best Restaurant list this year, a rise of eight places. What's more, celebrity chef Ferran Adria is shooting a documentary about the cuisine. 'The future of gastronomy is being cooked up in Peru,' he said in Details magazine.
Recent guest chef at Nobu in Hong Kong, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, is introducing Amazonian ingredients such as edible clays and algae to a wider audience.
Hong Kong restaurant group Concept Creations is picking up on the trend. It opens the city's first Peruvian restaurant, Chicha, tomorrow. 'Peruvian food is vibrant, with rich depth,' says Viviano Romito, co-owner of Concept Creations. While cuy will not be on the menu, there are plenty of other definers of the cuisine, such as cebiche (or ceviche), tiradito, causa, anticuchos and picarones.