Food for Thought

We have had a few interesting food experiences. (VEGETARIANS BEWARE - you might want to skip this paragraph.) One of the first was while we were in Mindo (earlier post). We were sitting at a restaurant outside on a street corner. They had a big charcoal-fueled grill loaded with chicken, pork and plantains, among other things. It was a very relaxed and casual place. We noticed they were grilling these things that were long and round to we asked what they were and the owner, we assumed, gave us a taste. They were pig intestines. Save yourself the experience. It is not worth it. Kind of what you would expect, too chewy and a little astringent. No, I did not swallow, just delicately removed it from my mouth and said thank you for the experience.

A major specialty in Ecuador is Cuy, which is guinea pig. (Sorry to our friends’ children who have them as pets.) They get the name from the sound they make when they are alive. With much nerve and help from our friend Chris we endeavored to have the experience of eating one. When they are on the rotisserie they are much bigger than you would imagine and have a much pointier nose than you would expect. It wasn’t bad (says PF), the skin was nice and crispy and the meat, while not a lot of it, was dark and moist. No, it did not taste like chicken, much too gamey to be compared with our little hen friends. I would eat it again but Andy would not.

My (PF) very favorite food so far is also a very popular dish. On the lines of street food, it is called Chancho al Horno - roasted pig. The meat is delicate and succulent with a wonderful roasted flavor. It is sooooo good. It is usually served with what are called llapingachos, which are potato cakes. No, not the kind that are served with sour cream and applesauce on Chanukah but these are thick and fluffy and absolutely out of this world.

I (PF) am beginning to think that the Andean people invented carbo-loading. Every meal, except breakfast is served with at least a double starch. Rice and potatoes mostly, sometimes with corn as well. I was told that this dates back to the time, when to get anywhere the Andean people had to walk so they loaded up on carbs before they made the trek. Sometimes we will even get rice with our pasta, too.

Here are a couple pictures of cuy on the rotisserie and chanco al horno.
http://picasaweb.google.com/fourney/FoodAlbum?authkey=Gv1sRgCKGsgJe7w-6qqwE&feat=directlink