Peru is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the genetically modified guinea pig that appears on menus across the country.
Developed in 2004 by the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation, this breed was created to meet the high demand for guinea pig meat across the nation.
Guinea pigs have been central to the Andean diet for thousands of years.
Their meat is rich in protein and low in fat, making it a nutritious option for many families.
The "Peru" breed is distinct for its faster growth, reaching a weight of two pounds in just 56 days—much quicker than the 160 days required by standard rodents.
According to Juan Solórzano, a research zootechnician involved in the project, the breed has transformed guinea pig farming.
"It is a precocious breed," Solórzano said, describing the dish as "festive."
Guinea pigs (known locally as cuy) are native to the Andes Mountains and are widely consumed in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia.
These regions were once part of the Inca Empire, where guinea pigs played a role in the diet and ceremonial practices of the Indigenous people.
In Peru alone, more than 25 million guinea pigs are raised for the meat industry, according to official figures.
The animals are so culturally significant that the country designates the second Friday of October as National Guinea Pig Day to encourage and promote their consumption, recognizing their role in Peruvian gastronomy.
Cuy is viewed as a customary dish at special occasions and is served roasted, fried, or boiled, often accompanied by potatoes or corn.
For people like Marina Isabel Briceño, guinea pig consumption is a tradition that spans generations—she has eaten them since she was a child.
Raised in the Cajamarca region, she recalls guinea pigs being served at important family events like baptisms, where godparents would receive trays of a dozen fried guinea pigs.
"I know it is a rodent, a distant relative of rats, but those animals eat garbage, whereas guinea pigs eat something else, tender corn leaves, which is why they are tasty," she said.
Internal migration from Peru's Andes in the 20th century brought the custom of eating guinea pigs to the country's Pacific coast.
In the Incan era, cuy were often sacrificed in religious rituals to appease gods and were featured in Andean cosmology as offerings to ancestors and deities.
Guinea pigs were also depicted in artifacts, pottery, and paintings from early Andean societies.
Today, they continue to play a role in traditional medicine across the Andes, where they are rubbed on the body of sick individuals to absorb negative energy or diagnose ailments.
Although Guinea pigs are primarily kept as pets in most parts of the world, their cultural relevance in the Andes is as strong as ever, especially with the faster-growing "Peru" breed making it far more viable for farmers to sustain demand.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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