Guinea pigs as meat

[fowltemptress]

Hmm . . . rather macabre looking, the head still being attached, with that huge pepper or whatever wedged in its mouth. If I ever tried it I think I'd be like the mother in "A Christmas Story" who was disturbed by the duck "smiling" at her. Off with its head!

 

[quiltnchik]

I was just talking to my husband today about the way most Americans are brought up, as far as what we eat. Would it different if we were raised eating rabbit, quail, deer, etc. as our only sources of meat? Would we then think eating a cow, pig, chicken, turkey, etc. was somewhat "strange?" I think that comes into play here. I, myself, would never dream of eating a guinea pig, simply because I've always seen them as "pets." However, I don't think it's strange if someone does want to eat them. Just something to think about...

 

[chicks4kids]

I'm the type that doesn't want to know what it is until AFTER I eat it. That way I can have an honest opinion on the taste, texture, etc. rather than seeing the "life form" of whatever it is I'm eating in my mind....

because it goes to show that yes, you can eat just about anything....we have just been "dumbed down" over the years. Self sufficientcy has routinely and more aggresively over the years, been taught right out of us....

 

[Chicken Boo]

In Ecuador, they are called cui cui, mimicking the noise they make. They had guinea pig on a stick stands along the main highways. We visited one home where the entire back room (~8' x 10') was dedicated to raising cui cui that ran loose on the dirt floor.

Guinea pigs are not just pets but are still lab animal staples in this country (thus the idiom of calling a test subject a guinea pig).

 

[fowltemptress]

Quote:
Well, by the looks of how they serve guinea pig over there, you'd have a hard time not knowing what it is. Looks like one of those hairless varieties with a really bad sunburn.

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
I saw different styles of guinea pig ladders, they always seem to have 3 levels.

Here is a photo of another, this one was outside:

If I understood them correctly, the guinea pigs are moved up the levels as they grow.

In the average persons house's that I was in- the guinea pigs just roam around the house on the floor. You have to take into acct that the house was one room with possibly a loft.

 

[journey11]

Wow, I learned something new tonight. After having several as pets when I was a child, I can't imagine anyone ~wanting~ to eat one. You'd have to be pretty hungry! (Although it wouldn't help any, being that they are so bony!!!!)

I'm going to try not to think about it anymore. Yucky...

 

[fowltemptress]

Aside from the lack of meat . . . how did they taste? Did they have a good flavor?

I love the fat little preggers. How often would they clean the floors? Or did they potty train them? I know it's possible to potty train them, but since I don't have a herd running through my house it's not something I'm worried about doing.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Wow! Quite the plate, I bet everyone at that table not used to eating guinea pigs, got a good laugh out of the head stuffed with a tomato or pepper. I can think of quite a few peopl who would nervously laugh and crack jokes, me, probably being one of them.

I just recall when reading about the economy of raising quail, that quinea pigs were mentioned as another economic source of meat. I guess really any kind of large rodent would be, anything that wouldn't eat much and bred like crazy.

I showed hubby the "guinea pig ladder" and he asked "do they really stay in that? how?". I told him I assumed it was just the fear of falling. Is that the case?

 

[deb1]

Would a guinea pig really be economical? I would imagine that you would have to eat something like ten just to get full. Seriously, I can't imagine my husband getting full off of just one.

We need a rate of conversion here. How many guinea pig legs equal a chicken leg?