Chicharrón de cuy is one of the traditional ways to eat guinea pig in Peru: the meat is cut up, marinated, and fried until crisp. Along with cuy chactado, it’s one of the best-known preparations of this Andean protein.
Cuy in Peruvian cooking
Guinea pig is native to the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia; according to Peru’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, its meat is high in protein and raising it supports more than 817,000 producers. It’s eaten mostly in Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Áncash, and Arequipa.
The key: the marinade
Chef Henry Purizaga, of La Olla Arequipeña, explains that the most important thing when frying cuy is the marinade, with just the right amount of salt, without masking the meat’s own flavor.
Editor’s note: Recetas123 doesn’t publish a recipe with quantities for this preparation because it hasn’t found a formula documented by a reliable source; this page describes it according to the sources consulted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guinea pig cut into pieces, marinated, and fried until crisp.
Chactado is fried whole and flattened under a stone; chicharrón is fried in pieces.
Mostly in Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Áncash, and Arequipa.
