Guinea pig / Cavia porcellus served as an entree, Huaraz, Peru, South America.

Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) were domesticated for food in the Andes 7000 years ago from a wild cavia or cavy rodent. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea. It is called cuy or cuyo (plural cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Quechua speakers call it quwi or jaca. Scientific use of guinea pigs in experiments dates back to the 1600s or earlier. Breeders often call it a cavy, but scientists usually call it a guinea pig. This photo of a cooked guinea pig on a plate is from a restaurant in Huaraz in the Andes Mountains, Ancash Region, Peru, South America.

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Filename: 14PER2-093_Guinea-pig-meal-plate_cuy.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 5472x3648 / 7.3MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Animalia Mammalia agriculture agronomy animal city mammals urban vertebrate
Contained in galleries: PERU: Huaraz, L. Churup, C. Negra hike, 2014 Jun 19-Jul 6 PERU: Alpamayo trek

Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) were domesticated for food in the Andes 7000 years ago from a wild cavia or cavy rodent. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea. It is called cuy or cuyo (plural cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Quechua speakers call it quwi or jaca. Scientific use of guinea pigs in experiments dates back to the 1600s or earlier. Breeders often call it a cavy, but scientists usually call it a guinea pig. This photo of a cooked guinea pig on a plate is from a restaurant in Huaraz in the Andes Mountains, Ancash Region, Peru, South America.