Cuy of Chactado Arequipeño

The Peruvian culture has invaluable records and evidence that its traditions and constructions were unique and incomparable. In this case, its culinary art is not far behind, because it has immersed in it an accumulation of seasonings, smells and distinctive forms, which fill and exalt the palate of thousands of inhabitants since memorable times.

One of the recipes that has been maintained for the longest time between meals for celebrations, meetings or simply as a desktop is EL Guinea pig of Chactado, a typical dish of the gastronomy of Peru specifically from the region of Arequipa, where its term of Chactado refers to the way of cooking, since it is a food that is press under the weight of a stone so that it takes the characteristic flat shape of the presentation that the Inca empire, its creators, brought to humanity.

Likewise, the dish has the peculiarity of being heavily seasoned and one of its distinctive characteristics is the fact that the animal is presented whole when it is served. Similarly, each person, regardless of their location in the Peruvian territory, has added a touch of taste and texture depending on your tastes, among which the seeds stand out, some crushed grains and various garnishes for a pleasant tasting.

That is why, in this recipe, the most practical and simple to elaborate a Cuy of Chactado Arequipeño, with ingredients that are easy to get but with the characteristic flavor and seasoning of the dish. To achieve this, continue reading.

Chactado Arequipeño Cuy Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole guinea pig
• 20g of white corn kernels
• 500 ml of vegetable oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Cumin to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 lemons cut in half

The materials to use

• Skillet
• Knife
• Mortar
• Molino
• Flat plate
• Dish towel
• Fork or clamp
• Absorbent paper
• stone to crush
• Strainer

Preparation

1. Start washing the guinea pig with enough water. Then pass and squeeze the lemons through all the pieces of the animal, both inside and outside
2. Let stand for approx. 30 minutes under a stone that completely covers the piece of meat. As time elapses, remove the stone and remove the lemon, rinsing it well. Let it dry for another 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a pan roast white corn along with the salt. Then grind the grains until you get 100 grams of corn powder. book
4. With the help of a mortar grind the garlic, pepper and cumin hand to another pinch of salt
5. When the meat is dry, proceed to season it with the previous seasoning, without leaving any blank space, pass the meat through the flour previously sifted
6. Heat the frying pan with enough oil and immediately fry the pieces. cover the pan with its respective cover.
7. Once they are seen well browned, remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper
8. Serve with chifa rice, parboiled potatoes or the accompaniment of your choice

Advice and suggestions

This dish of Inca origin, valued around 200 years ago as one of the most nutritious and powerful in Peru It is very easy to prepare. To carry it out, you do not need an excellent culinary technique or the most advanced utensils and extravagant ingredients, since one of the peculiarities of its preparation is its simplicity in components and its humble preparations.

In the same way, when we have love, patience and a good recipe that guides us to make an exquisite dish, reaching culinary goals is not difficult, since it has all the steps and ways to handle the ingredients.

However, there are various advice and suggestions that old and experienced cooks have wanted to export to their equals so that the dish turns out to be simple, tasty and delicate and thus achieve the total success of the recipe. These tips are summarized like this:

• When preparing the mixture for marinating, estar salt slope. This should not be missing or left over
• So that the meat takes a better flavor, punch it with a toothpick tall and let it rest next to the seasoning for a full day
• Make sure the guinea pig dry completely. This will avoid any shock of the meat piece inside the hot oil.
• The corn flour has to cover the Cuy well, be aware that there is no no open hole for the flour
• The stone to press the animal must be big, so that all the weight is distributed evenly by the animal and there is no part of the Cuy without being Chactado
• You can enter the seasoning a little thyme, ginger, oregano, turmeric, or curry so that the animal absorbs other flavors and at the same time takes on the peculiar yellowish color of the dish

nutritional income

The guinea pigs have been part of the diet of the populations of the Andean region since ancient times (based on evidence from more than 3500 years ago), providing sustenance and nutrition, and also guaranteeing the food safety where on many occasions there were no different nutritional sources.

Given that they are fed with the leftovers of the family's food (reduced vegetables, seeds and fruits), their upbringing does not it is expensiveOn the contrary, it is more what they give than what they take.

These little creatures usually cut into quarters (front and back) or eaten whole. According to the "Peruvian Tables of Food Composition of the Minsa", year 2017, each 100 grams of guinea pig meat contains:

• Calories 96 Kcal
• Proteins 19 gr
• Fat 1.6 gr
• Carbohydrates 0.1 gr
• Calcium 29 mg
• Phosphorus 258 mg
• Zinc 1.57 mg
• Iron 1.90 mg

History

The Cuy came to Peru through the Paracas culture (which is a city on the west coast of Peru known for its beaches such as the Chaco located in the sheltered bay of Pacoras) in the cave period between 250 to 300 BC.  

Those who lived in these towns or provinces fed on the meat of this rodent, since they considered it as nutritious and owner of all the properties that the organism needed for its functioning.

According to Peruvian history, the oldest remains of the Cuy have been found in prehistoric caves in the city of Ayacucho in Peru and date back to 5.000 years before Christ which leads us to imagine that the ancient Andean ancestors already enjoyed this delicious traditional dish.

Years later, after the Spanish invasion, the conquerors took it to Europe in the XNUMXth century as a ornamental animal where its breeding and commercialization was intensified, for domestic and culinary uses. Some time later, they were scattered throughout the rest of the continent, reaching places where it was a taboo to consume them and in other cases, they were simple creeping animals of no importance.

cuy curiosities

This cute little animal is the protagonist of assorted curiosities worldwide. These are:  

• The guinea pig is the main animal of the Juan Acevedo comic strips. He was born in 1979 and his character travels back in time to be part of history, thus meeting fantastic people and places.
• Within raffles One of the main attractions is the Cuy, where they cover it with boxes so as not to see where it is and place it around a circle to be found.
• This animal is no stranger to appearing in some hollywood movies, such as “G-force” or “The Secret Life of Pets”
• Around 3000 years ago, those who served as Offerings, this was seen by the Inca nobility as an animal of companionship and of mystical essence
• According to traditional Peruvian medicine, this animal is used to diagnosing the ills or ailments of people. First healers used it to detect diseases and were sacrificed to observe and cure these ailments
• In many countries the Cuy is a pet chosen by young and old. Thanks to the fact that they are a type of calm, clean animal and do not require many expenses to take care of them
• In some hatcheries they use the faeces of the guinea pig to prepare a base of manure and thus general gas natural, also known as biol or biogas. In addition, it is also used to generate electrical power sustainable financing model for houses near the farms
• The second Friday of October is celebrated day of the guinea pig in peru.