What's a watusa?

Time for a food blog! Today we're introducing two Ecuadorian foods: cuy and watusa, two animals that you might not think belong in this jungle country.

Most people have heard of cuy before. It's English name is... GUINEA PIG! It's really popular in the mountains, and is one of the quintessential native Ecuadorian foods, despite their cuteness.

Guinea pigs.
Photo by Kirstie Bickford.

We've only had cuy once, and it wasn't our favorite food... It's tough with little meat on it (and they look really creepy when they're dead, hairless, and stretched out on a skewer). Once you gnaw through the thick skin, you get to a rabbity-like meat that isn't too bad (that's Minnesota speak for "it's okay but not spectacular"). 

Cuy is a traditionally Sierran food, though. Here in the jungle, it's more common to eat the guinea pig's meatier cousin: the watusa (also spelled "guatusa").

A captive watusa.
Photo by Kirstie Bickford.

Unlike cuy which are bred in captivity, watusas are usually hunted. They plague the yuca crops, digging holes and mounds around the roots to feast on them--which stinks for farmers since the root is the part of yuca that people like to eat, too.

A watusa in its natural habitat.
Photo by Haplochromis

Watusas are bigger than cuy, about the size of a rabbit, and the meat is much thicker and just meatier in general, than either cuy or wild rabbit. And the things taste absolutely amazing--like beef with a porky taste, and it seems to be a pretty tender wild meat, as well. A friend of ours made this dish, watusa al jugo:

Watusa al jugo with rice and boiled platano maduro, and tamarind juice to drink.
Photo by Kirstie Bickford.

Here's a bonus: There's a third relative that lives here in the jungle, too: the capybara. We're told that they are also tasty, and they're a lot bigger than watusas--capybaras can apparently weigh up to a hundred and fifty pounds!

Isaac makes friends with the friendly capybara at La Isla Zoo in Tena, Ecuador.
Photo by Kirstie Bickford.

 What are some of the weird, gross, or tasty foods you've come across in your journeys, whether near or far? Let us know in the comments!

..Kirstie and Isaac..

This post is part of the Forest and Farm series.