El Curi o Cuy

Colombia: Ministerio de Agricultura, 1952. Very good.. [2],xiii,203,[4]pp., plus plates. Two printed leaves, otherwise typescript reproduction. Oblong octavo. Original pictorial wrappers. Lust wear and dust soiling to wraps; light tanning internally. Rare, extremely detailed study by the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture to promote the guinea pig as a low-cost and sustainable source of meat. The whole is profusely illustrated with numerous photographs of guinea pig husbandry in action and contains many recipes and advices for the butchering and preparation of these cute but delicious rodents. At the time of these study, guinea pig was an extremely popular meat in several other South American countries, but in Colombia was consumed almost exclusively by the people of Nariño, on the border with Ecuador, where street vendors of roasted cuy are still quite common. In particular, the guinea pig is recommended as a food source for the country's mestizo population, and on the whole advised as a replacement for the more disease-prone rabbit.

The recipes included in this volume hail from across the continent, and often include beverage pairings such as wine or masato (a fermented yuca drink from the Andes). Two possible favorites are picante de cuy (spicy guinea pig) and shihuayro de cuy, a Peruvian preparation made with Andean mint. The photographic plates depict many aspects of domesticated guinea pig husbandry, the people who raise them, various methods of care, plus viable locations and setups for farming. Numeorus topics concerning the guinea pig in Colombia are addressed, with one particularly interesting section being devoted to the guinea pig in Colombian language and idiom, which reproduces wonderful phrases such as, "Comer cuyes a la desboletada" -- "guinea pigs eating on the rampage." Unsurprisingly, not in OCLC.