Regional/Cultural Day
Dia del Cuy
The cuy (guinea pig) is one of the most important foods in the Andean diet, and it has been domesticated for over 5,000 years. The cuy is not a pet in Peru. It is food, and it is served fried, roasted, or in a spicy sauce (picante de cuy). The cuy is also used in traditional medicine (the curandero rubs a live cuy over the body of a sick person, and then kills the cuy and examines its organs to determine the illness). The Dia del Cuy is celebrated in the highlands with cuy-cooking competitions, and the best cuy is said to come from Cusco and Arequipa.