Food & Dining

Still Time to Vote for Your 7 Favorite Peruvian Dishes

Picante de cuy, one of 100 dishes vying for the title of “Gastronomic Wonder of Peru”

 

The official website states that the first round of voting ended February 15, but evidently you can still cast your vote online for the Seven Gastronomical Wonders of Peru.

There are serious choices to be made among the 100 contenders.

This weekend I learned that my 26-year-old nephew had voted for, among other dishes, picante de cuy. I hadn’t pegged him as a cuy guy, but he assured me that spicy roasted guinea pig really is one of his favorites.

Now that I’ve read the description on the 7 Maravillas site, I’m rather speechless:

The palate of Lima’s high sierra region is governed by the guinea pig, a nervous rodent that knows how to live with humans. Some breeds of guinea pig can weigh up to one kilo each. At The Crossing picanterías in Caraz, cuy picante is served in separate dishes with spicy potato. In a separate dish is served the fried trifle and fried head. This dish is eaten with your hands so as not to miss even a single little bone.

Have you tried this dish? Is it muy rico, as my nephew claims, or is he just trying to shock his tia from Gringolandia?

See also: Vote for the 7 Gastronomic Wonders of Peru

I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.

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