In Michael Moore’s 1989 film “Roger & Me” there is a scene in which a woman in Flint, Michigan has a sign in her yard next to a cage of rabbits that says “Rabbits Bunnies Pets or Meat For Sale.” The film blames General Motors chairman Roger Smith for Flint’s economic decline and this scene is supposed to show the desperation that Flint residents have stooped to: they’re so hungry that they’re eating their pets!Pets or meat? The answer depends on where you are. Take the guinea pig for example. In the United States and Europe the answer is pets. If you are in the South American Andes, the answer is meat. Before the Spaniards arrived with cows, goats, pigs and chickens, the main sources of animal protein in the Andes were llamas, alpacas and cuy, the Quechua name for guinea pig. With animal protein sources scarce, the pre-Columbian indigenous people did what they had to do to survive. If you are invited over to someone's house for a special occasion while in Peru, undoubtedly you will be served cuy.
The picture here is of my plate of roasted cuy over a rocota rellena (stuffed pepper) with some papas (potatoes) on the side. My little fella has an aji (chile pepper) in his mouth and sports a dandy little pepper and huacatay herb hat. Cuy has a chicken-like taste with lots of little bones and I wonder if I lost more calories searching and picking out bones than I gained by eating my dinner.
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What people eat has such a strong cultural bias. Dog or horse or guinea pig. And then, there are many people who gag at the thought of eating any animal.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Dr. Tom. If we had very few animals that provide protein in our diet and culture, we would develop a taste for some of the animals we now call pets.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Jason
Eating that little guinea pig - especially served up looking like... well, what it is - I think I would have claimed to be a vegetarian. Oddly though, my 9-year-old daughter, who adores hamsters and rodents, has a much more pragmatic view: why should eating a guinea pig be any different from eating a cow? Or a lamb or chicken or whale?
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteOn this occasion I did not have the kids with me and I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted to try it. A few months later they did try some breaded and deep-fried cuy, but just a taste. It helped that I did not have a hamster or guinea pig for a pet as a kid. I had a pet turtle named chelito...so eating turtle would be harder for me.
Jason
In Ecuador my mother couldn't stomach it because she had a guinea pig growing up but to me it's no different than eating rabbit and delicious to boot!
ReplyDeleteAyngelina,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it. I was pretty ambivalent about it, but it was fun to try.
Thanks for checking in.
Jason
We have kept guinea pigs as pets in the past - probably would do now if we were not on the move so much. So here's the thing. I completely and utterly agree that it is a cultural bias, that we eat cows and chickens and... you name it.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I were hungry enough I would eat someone's arm. No doubt.
But, I cannot help but see 'into' this little guy on the plate and feel bad.
David,
ReplyDeleteYour response has been fairly typical. If I may paraphrase, the head says eating cuy is fine but the heart has problems with it.
Once I had my "cultural anthropologist perspective" as I sat down to dinner, it was easier to eat the cuy.
Thanks for commenting.
Jason
I do love his little hat...
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I haven't tried it yet? No moral qualms, just a lack of time, cash, and willing companions!
Cam,
ReplyDeleteYes, the little fella is stylin' with his hat.
I'm shocked that you haven't tried cuy. It is a bit pricey, but it is a cultural experience, as you know.
Jason
Having spent an extended period of time volunteering in Quito, Ecuador, we have had plenty of opportunity to partake in Cuy and always passed. Forget that we are mostly vegetarians, I just don't see any reason – as a visitor – to eat something like this. We had a rich cultural experience without eating anything too crazy (I know, I know, crazy is subjective).
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that, if I am going to enjoy a piece of meat, for goodness sakes I don't want it dressed up to look like a cartoon character! =)
Hey NVR guys,
ReplyDeleteI realized when I posted this that it wouldn't be for everyone. Vive la difference.
Thanks for commenting.
Jason
Hmmm... I do wonder if I could eat a guinea pig. I've always run from them as I'm horribly allergic, so I don't have any emotional attachment. If anything, I might be a but afraid of them... I'll stick to Peruvian chicken, I think!
ReplyDelete