28 Julio 2010

Happy Independence Day Peru!
We had the day off of classes to celebrate.

I was so excited to see this plate:

**** cuy y camote****

I have been told that guinea pig is a dark fatty meat being promoted by the Peruvian Health Department due to its high iron content and easy accessibility.
I like dark meat, that is always my favorite part of the chicken, and steak close to fat is always the richest. I was stoked.

I don't know if it was the smell of the raw cuy soaking in the herbs the night before, seeing the cuy guts all over the house (and when I say "all over" I mean a liver on the kitchen counter, skins on the edge of the sink where we wash laundry, etc), the unappetizing presentation, or a combination of all of the above; But, half way through the meal I discovered that I don't like cuy. In fact, I dislike it very much.
With all my heart I wanted to love it, but when I realized that I was holding my breath with each bite and looking forward to the potatoes I have been avoiding for the past month I allowed admittance of displeasure. It took all of my strength to keep my nose from wrinkling up with each bite. I took to my childhood mastery of making food appear to be eaten. Hiding the meat that has even the slightest bit of fat on it under skin, stuffing some unidentifiables in the ribcage, and the like. I ate it as quickly as possible, and must have drunk 4 glasses of water to wash it down, but was still quite hungry. I took to the potatoes, and couldn't handle the smell of the cuy dressing so I decided to eat them adjunctless. Let me tell you, a potato with no salt, butter, or anything has ever tasted so good. Then, when I cut into the 'camote' I discovered that means 'sweet potato'!!! I have NEVER been so excited for a toppingless sweet potato in my life. I must have inhaled it.

Then, I focused on getting rid of the evidence. I helped wash the dishes and get all the cuy guts and bones out to the trash in the road as quickly as possible. This morning they had cleaned the cuy bodies in the sink outside. When I went to hand wash my clothes for the week I gave all the random scraps of cuy to the dogs and went to town with a scrub brush on the sink. I could not fathom the idea of my clothes smelling like the mess I had just stuffed into my belly. Her outdoor sink has never sparkled so brilliantly. My family thought it such a nice gesture that I was helping so much with the cleaning so they could relax a bit and enjoy the holiday. I finished in record time and decided a shower was required. When I stepped into the house feeling a sense of accomplishment in having arrived to the last step of ridding my nose of the cuy scent, a waft from the kitchen reached my nostril. Tomorrow we will mop and then have at cleaning the tablecloth.