I consider myself to be an avid enjoyer of food and when I was presented with the opportunity to experience a new culinary adventure in a new country, I embraced the experience. One particular dish that stood out to me as both intimidating yet the most enticing was cuy, or guinea pig.

Guinea pig is a common meal here, with the small animals being easy to farm within the mountainous areas of Peru and I indulged in cuy three separate times during my time in Peru. I’ve grown up hunting and eating squirrels and rabbits so this was not something I was too worried about. However, when I saw the cuy on the plate in front of me for the first time, wholly cooked on a grill, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. When the other members of my group saw it, most regretted their orders and did not touch it, but not me. I dug into it, with the knowledge from our guide that, “real Peruvians leave only the bones,” and so I tried my best. The meat was reminiscent of chicken but with a darker and more gamey flavor. Besides cuy, I had other traditional dishes, such as trout ceviche and lomo saltado, which is beef or alpaca with rice and potatoes. We even got to make both of these dishes in a cooking class along with some traditional drinks. The best part about the food in Peru, was the prices. Every meal was cheap and delicious, made with local ingredients and used healthy cooking techniques.

The chocolate you can get in Peru is nothing like you have ever had, super rich tasting and made with local cocoa beans. Overall, tasting the vast amount of food Peru offers and learning about the culinary traditions and cultures enhanced my overall experience in this beautiful country.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Global Service and Health Science Internship in Peru