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Trying some local food
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On our last evening in Arequipa we decided that we must try some local cuisine.
We headed out to a place recomended by the Lonely Planet. The interior was very rustic with bamboo and wood all over the place. We were welcommed by some students dressed in local folkloric costumes playing local music.
We ordered our Peruvian meals.
Malwina with the home made Alpaca (kind of like lama), and Marcin with the traditional cuy (guinea pig).
Malwina Alpaca looked a bit like pork, as it was served in 5 slices, with mashed potatoes and veggies. The texture was a bit like meat with sawdust, and tasted as though it had been pickled in vinegar for a week. In general, not great, but edible.
The guinea pid was interesting. To server it, they take a whole guine pig, shave it, and cut it open from the mouth to the but along the stomach. Then they open it up along the cut, so it looks like it has been run over, and put it on a hot piece of metal, with guts, longs organs and all. When they deem it ready, they bring it out on a plate with some fries.
This thing has teeth, claws the works. I asked how to eat it and the nice lady said to cut into 4 pieces and just east it with my hands. No problem. How abd can it be?
I cut of the head, then along the spine, and then perpendicualr to the spine, so I had 4 nice pieces to hold by a claw each. I grabbed the back right claw, and drew it to my mouth. I took a deep breath before the first bite and the was the big mistake. I took in some air through my nose. This thing smelled like burned human skin! I was completely disgusted. After a few minutes I tried again, but this time I cut off a piece of the skin. A few bites proved that the skin was not quite soft enough to eat so we tried the actual meat. Texture was very chicken like, taste similar but it left a nasty after taste.
I ate as much meat as I could find in the rear part, not much to be found in the upper body, but did not dare tough the internal organs.
All in all, possibly the worst food we have ever eaten. And quite expensive for Peru standards.
On a high note, we went to see the frozen mummy museum. Juanita was found frozen some years ago by a US scientist on a mountain in Peru. Apparently Incas chose the most beautiful girls and sacrificed them to the gods on top of huge mountains (6000 m above sea level or so). Quite facinating story. Check out the link with all the details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy_Juanita
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