Apparently one of the fairly common items on Peruvian menus is cuy, or Guinea pig. I have been debating for some time now whether or not I want to try it this week.
I generally like to try some of the local "delicacies" when I'm on vacation, particularly if it's something I can't get at home. Case in point, I think we stopped at Tim Horton's three times during our overnight trip to Winnipeg for the World Cup last summer.
Based on the limited research* I've done to prepare for this trip, there are a handful of things Peru is known for that I'd like to try. The national drink is something called a Pisco Sour. Obviously it would be rude and probably xenophobic to turn down someone else's national drink, so I'll definitely be checking that out. The Cusco region in particular is also known for coca products- coca tea, coca candies, chewable coca leaves, etc. The coca plant is supposed to help alleviate the affects of the high altitude. And if you're wondering, "Beth, is coca what I think it is?", well, I'll direct your query to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, which explicitly states It is illegal to bring coca leaves into the U.S. for any purpose, including to use for brewing tea or for chewing.
The thing is with the Guinea pig, some places serve it as part of a stew, with other meats, but I think most places serve it whole. Like, cooked Guinea pig body laying there with little legs sticking out and head attached and just...no. If that's the only option I'm going to have to pass. This is supposed to be a vacation not an episode of Fear Factor.
Anyway, we're not in Peru yet. Today we flew into Orlando by way of Chicago. And on our first flight of the day, we were introduced to a completely unexpected delicacy- the stroopwafel.
The stroopwafel is a Dutch treat that was sort of like a very thin waffle, with a layer of caramel inside. Yum. They were handed out on the morning plane flight instead of the usual peanuts or pretzels. It was so tasty that we specifically asked the flight attendant on the second flight if they had any. He claimed he would check for us, and made a show of walking to the back of the plane, but he returned empty-handed. You just know the rest of the flight attendants were back there eating them all.
We also got to enjoy a unique dinner** experience today. After Mom picked Emily & I up from the airport, we met up with Kiki (who was randomly in Orlando this week for a conference) at Disney's Animal Kingdom Resort. It is an unwritten family rule that all meals eaten in Orlando must be eaten on Disney property, so we had reservations at one of the resort's restaurants, Sanaa. The food was described as African-inspired with Indian spices, and it did not disappoint.
And though maybe not entirely authentic to the African theme, my drink did come with a light-up ice cube so I was pretty happy.
Tomorrow it's on to Miami, and then the overnight flight to Lima. Better get some sleep now!
*I bet those of you who've traveled with me before cannot believe I just used the phrase "limited research I've done to prepare for this trip".
**I attempted to eat local for lunch too, but it was a bust. Let's just say the airport satellite location of Chicago's famed Billy Goat Tavern didn't really warrant the on-site t-shirt sales.
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