Return to main articleThe World's Strangest Street Food
ROASTED CUY
Otavalo, Ecuador
If you ever kept a guinea pig as a childhood pet, you'll probably want to avoid the open-air vendors (here and in other Ecuadorean cities) that sell roasted cuy. These rodents—farm-raised cousins of your old pal Fluffy—are spit-roasted whole, with their heads and claws still on. And smoky and delicious though the meat may be (reportedly the taste is similar to duck), watching the locals gnaw on it can be disconcerting. Where to find it: Among the artisans' stalls at the outdoor Otavalo Market. More refined meals of cuy are also served at sit-down restaurants in Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil.
© Bert de Ruiter / Alamy
