Peruvian Food

[JackieOnLine]

I ate it today for the first time - does anyone know about it? it was a "food cart" at a vineyard I visited since they were having a wine tasting while watching the alpacas get sheered. the woman I was with said "you'd never see this in Napa"; beats me, I've never been there.

there was grilled chicken, rice, & salad - plus an oddly tasteless bright yellow sauce that I think was salad dressing and a dark green cilantro sauce that was very spicy and good. I'd have asked the people serving it but they were pretty busy.

the wine was good, too - plus I scored at yard sales this morning. I had a really good day!

 

[JackieOnLine]

nope, just plain grilled chicken. I dunked it in the green spicy stuff, that was great.

 

[DianaCox]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig#As_food

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes. Traditionally, the animal was reserved for ceremonial meals by indigenous people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s it has become more socially acceptable for consumption by all people.[149] It continues to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains highlands; it is also eaten in some areas of Ecuador(mainly in the Sierra) and Colombia.[150] Because guinea pigs require much less room than traditional livestockand reproduce extremely quickly, they are a more profitable source of food and income than many traditional stock animals, such as pigs and cows;[151] moreover, they can be raised in an urban environment. Both rural and urban families raise guinea pigs for supplementary income, and the animals are commonly bought and sold at local markets and large-scale municipal fairs.[152] Guinea pig meat is high in protein and low in fat andcholesterol, and is described as being similar to rabbit and the dark meat of chicken.[7][153] The animal may be served fried (chactado or frito), broiled (asado), or roasted (al horno), and in urban restaurants may also be served in a casserole or a fricassee.[154] Ecuadorians commonly consume sopa or locro de cuy, a soup dish.[154] Pachamanca or huatia, a process similar to barbecueing, is also popular, and is usually served with corn beer (chicha) in traditional settings.[154]

Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year, and the animal is so entrenched in the culture that one famous painting of the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cusco shows Christ and the twelve disciples dining on guinea pig.[7]

 

[Terri]

Hmm another meat that "tastes" like chicken. Guinea pigs seem to be much cleaner animals than chickens. I don't think I could get over the fact that they are pets here. As I know for other to understand some of the meats we eat as well.

 

[JackieOnLine]

they said it was chicken....looked like chicken..

 

[brooklyngirl]

I'd highly doubt you were eating a guinea pig, maybe if you were posting FROM Peru, but not in Oregon

 

[Whit]

Oh please there are food trucks in Napa. What a snob. They may serve Mexican food and not Peruvian but there are food trucks everywhere these days!

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Food Trucks&find_loc=Napa, CA

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Oh please there are food trucks in Napa. What a snob. They may serve Mexican food and not Peruvian but there are food trucks everywhere these days!

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Food Trucks&find_loc=Napa, CA

Is it possible the person was being funny? Or maybe remarking on the Peruvian part?

Or am I just unaware of regional rivalries/snobbishness Out There?

 

[brooklyngirl]

Whit- I took it as the opposite, that Napa is too she-she uptight for a Peruvian food cart and alpaca shearing at a vineyard

 

[JackieOnLine]

she meant the alpaca part - livestock! manure!

I took it that the vineyards she has visited in CA were much more upscale. I've heard there are some fancy-pants tasting rooms around here but so far I haven't been to them.

this place was lovely and had stuff for sale made out of the alpaca...hair? wool? a sweater was $295

a couple of the alpacas were nervous about the sheering and made sad little noises but they seemed much more comfortable afterwards - it was HOT and those coats were thick.

 

[brooklyngirl]

Ahh, gotcha. I was just in Napa a few weeks ago and while I do love it, it's almost annoyingly highbrow. I felt like I got attitude at all kinds of shops, equivalent to what I got years ago in Paris.

 

[Whit]

@brooklyngirl I wish I knew you were here. I live in the Bay Area and would have met up with you if timing worked out.

We have been going to Calistoga, Sonoma and recently Livermore. It is how I imagine Napa once was a truly farming community. There are still a bunch of family run wineries that are down to earth and really are farms. Anderson Valley is next on our list...

 

[KathyF]

I had to google. Apparently there are alpacas in Napa:

http://www.calpaca.org/farms/3460/alpaca-reserve-of-napa-valley

 

[brooklyngirl]

@brooklyngirl I wish I knew you were here. I live in the Bay Area and would have met up with you if timing worked out.

We have been going to Calistoga, Sonoma and recently Livermore. It is how I imagine Napa once was a truly farming community. There are still a bunch of family run wineries that are down to earth and really are farms. Anderson Valley is next on our list...

My brother and his family live in SF so I'll be out there again in the near future! I'll let ya know next time. I was ALMOST able to see @DianaCox because of snafu I made with the plane reservations, but I didn't think she'd be hungry for dinner when I got into San Jose at 5:30 am

 

[Elizabeth N.]

How can anybody not like alpacas? They're fuzzy and adorable.