Food & Crafts in Peru...

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Hi everyone,

So finally the last Peru blog and I seem to have saved the most popular topic for last. Almost everyone who has emailed me has asked about the food and many have asked the same question...´have you eaten guinea pig yet?´ Well truthfully I can say that now the answer is yes! On Monday night, my last in Cusco, I ate some guinea pig. It was a daunting experience and I have put the photos toward the bottom so that you do not have to look if you do not want to. But honestly, in spite of what it looked like, it tasted really nice. If I could eat with my eyes closed I would happily eat it again. Now really, I was expecting it to taste like chicken as most things tend to, but it tasted much nicer. It tasted like pork, I was mulling this over and shared my thoughts with the group, but then as someone pointed out that it should taste like pork as it is a pig after all, I did feel a bit of a wally!

Other than guinea pig, or cuy as it is called in Peru, the peruvians have a major love of carbohydrates. Every meal is full of them, even breakfast. Majority of the meals that I ate in Peru included both rice and potatoes, yes both! Generally meals start with a bowl of soup, which usually has rice or potatoes in it, often french fries in fact. Then a meal consisting of meat in some variety of sauce, served with a portion of rice and potatoes and sometimes a few vegetables. I have to say the peruvian approach to food suited me well! I also really enjoyed eating alpaca, it is very similar to beef in my opinion but there is something slightly different about it that I am sorry to say that I cannot put my finger on, I guess you will have to try it for yourself!

When I am not living the life and eating out every night, I am slowly learning to cook for myself! Aswell as visiting the supermarket every now and then, I also buy food from the market at the end of our street - Mercado Ttio. The market is always busy and is full of stalls selling food I recognise and food I which I did not recognise. The lane of butchers is quite a sight, with entire legs of cow on sale and the delicacy of the feet of chickens! Not a sight for a poorly tummy. The fruit lane is amazing though and is always awash with colour. The potato lane is where we bought our ready peeled spuds for the chips we cooked for the girls, although with so many different options of potato even that becomes an experience!

As for drinks, the people of Cusco really enjoy their Coca Tea. They have it hot or cold, with or without lime and sugar, any way that it comes really. It is all that the girls at the orphanage ever seem to drink. I, myself, enjoyed the coca tea but fell in love with another drink, Inca Cola. Inca Cola is an almost fluorescent yellow drink, which tells you straight away that it is good for you! It tastes like a cross between cream soda and Irn Bru, and is simply delicious, I recommend it to anyone heading to Peru!

Other than food, I wanted to tell you about the Arts and Crafts markets. They are an awful lot of them in Cusco and they differ in prices and quality but really they are lovely places to visit. They are so full of colour and offer every textile good that you can imagine, it is also a lot cheaper in Peru than at home so you could buy an awful lot of colourful memories, that is to say you could if your suitcase was not already bulging!



So all in all, Peru was amazing. I learned an awful lot from the girls at the orphanage and from the different people that I met and experiences I had. One quarter of the way through my trip and my outlook on life is already slightly changed and my camera already very full! Be warned there will be an epic slide show at the end of this trip!



Take care everyone, the next blog entry will be an introduction to Brazil.

Speak to you soon,

Tasha

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Comments

[Vicky]

Yuk
Tasha that's disgusting and looks like a rat! Why is it standing up, I feel sick just looking at it. Did it smell funny?

[Suzan]

You tried it!!!
Glad you tried the guinea pig, although it does look gross standing there with whatever that is in its mouth. You sound like you are having a great time, cant wait to hear about Brazil xxxx

[Tom]

Pig free!
I hate to shatter your illusions Tash but Guinea pigs aren't remotely related to pigs they are rodents, you were basically eating a big fat tasty rat! Hope that doesn't put you off eating any more of them.

[TashaMK]

ha ha ha, thanks for sharing the knowledge Mr. Bashford!

[Gwen]

The Food in Cusco,Peru
Tasha, the fruits and vegetables looks good and sounds very healthy. However, the guinea pig I have to take a rain check in another life. :) I like good drinks it sound like the coca tea in the moring will give you a boost of energy alng with the inca cola. Look forward to you next visit in Brazil. Have fun and be safe.