If you’ve been in Lima for a couple days, you’ve probably noticed menus with a curious word that’s likely unfamiliar to you: cuy. Cuy, or guinea pig, is a popular staple of the Peruvian diet: Easy to breed and economical, they’re also protein-rich meats that taste like — you guessed it — chicken.
Once used primarily for ceremonial meals, cuy is now as common as chicken. But it remains revered, too: Peruvians celebrate the second Friday of October as National Cuy Day, and at Cusco Cathedral, you can even see an 18th-century painting of the Last Supper depicting a cuy dish served at the table awaiting the arrival of Jesus and his disciples.
Ready to try it? Cuy is traditionally cooked whole, with the head attached. Two popular ways to cook it are cuy al palo, where it is spit-roasted over a fire like chicken or suckling pig, and cuy chactado, where it is butterflied and then pan-fried. Cuy is often served with corn on the cob, and potatoes with salsa criolla, a Peruvian red onion relish.
If you’re hungry and you order cuy, don’t bother with a knife and fork. The best way to eat it is with your hands. Because Lima is the region’s cuisine capital, chefs are also coming up with new ways to serve this ancient dish. Today, the dish is found on the menus of Lima’s top restaurants.
Here are the places to try cuy when you’re visiting Lima. As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Where to Try Traditional Cuy
La Tranquera BBQ
La Tranquera is an Argentinian-style grill nestled in the popular Miraflores quarter. It serves almost every type of barbecued meat you can imagine, including cuy. La Tranquera serves its cuy barbecued with the requisite potatoes on the side. Portions at this restaurant are generous, so make sure bring your appetite, or some friends.
Restaurants with a Contemporary Twist on Cuy
Maido
Maido is the ideal place to try cuy for the first time. The upscale restaurant specializes in Nikkei cuisine (Peruvian-Japanese fusion), and often offers cuy on the menu. One inventive take: Cuy-San, which was cuy fried in duck fat, served with cauliflower crème with garlic and rocoto chile sauce, rounded off with a delicious torikara-style glaze.
Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura continues to invent new dishes and updates them frequently on Maido’s tasting menu and house menu. Another cuy dish offered by Maido in the past and which is expected to be back on the menu, is Cuy Gyoza, a steamed and fried cuy dumpling served with ponzu sauce and Amazonian chiles.
Astrid & Gastón
Renowned chefs, the husband and wife team Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche have won numerous awards since they opened their flagship restaurant over 20 years ago — and the cuisine at Astrid & Gastón is proof of this.
This restaurant has offered many different cuy preparations over the years. One that has stuck around is the Peking Cuy, served with a hoisin sauce and purple corn pancakes.
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