New Mexico is thinking about processing horse meat. Montanans have roadkill. And now the latest in offbeat meat appears to be ... guinea pigs. NPR reports on an American trend fueled by South American expats and the US restaurants that serve such cuisine, and bolstered by foodies' penchant for trying—and blogging about—something new. Called cuyes in Spanish, the two-pound creatures are typically purchased hairless and frozen and prepared whole via grill or deep fryer. They can be consumed "literally from head to toe," reports NPR (one restaurateur describes the nose as particularly tasty); fans of the roasted rodent say they're tasty, tender, and oily.
But it's not all about taste for proponents, who say eating guinea pigs is an environmentally conscious move. The petite animals have a much smaller carbon footprint than cattle, and while it takes, say, eight pounds of hay to make a pound of beef, it only take four to make a pound of guinea pig meat. And, bonus, you don't need a farm to raise this supper: "Guinea pigs don't require the land that cattle do," said one science writer. "They can be kept in backyards, or in your home." A "herd" of two males and 20 females can sustainably provide meat to a family of six. (More guinea pig stories.)
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