![Peru](../_Media/file48681_med_hr.jpeg)
Before you react to eating cute little furry things, just remember that you probably eat lots of cute little things - it is just that you never see them “unprocessed”.
Guinea Pig, or cuy (also cobayo or conejillo de indias), is a staple in Peruvian cuisine and has been eaten in Peru for at least 5,000 years. Like chickens in the United States, Guinea Pigs are often raised in the home in rural areas - they are not pets, they are a food source which are often given as gifts.
The photograph above was taken in a market in Cusco, Peru. When Guinea Pig can not be eaten close to the time it is killed it is dried for later consumption, or for sale in a market. It is also frozen and is available in supermarkets in the Andes of South America
Its taste has been compared to rabbit or duck and can be prepared in the same way that these dishes are made.