South America: Local Meats

In the Andes - Cuy (guinea pig) is a local delicacy, only for special occasions. Fur is removed with boiling water, then cuy is either roasted or fried. It is dark meat, a bit greasy, with gamey-taste. Alpaca is not often eaten in regions where I've lived but I have seen it served in restaurants.

Where to eat: The best cuy I’ve eaten was killed on the spot, roasted together over open flames in small Quechua villages. But since those experiences are hard to come by, I would suggest Urko Cocina Local and Achiote Ecuador Cuisine in Quito. Try Cicciolina, Marcelo Batata, and Cuyeria Sabor Moqueguano in Cusco, Peru.

But if you want to eat truly local, it’s now beef and chicken that everyone eats for an average meal, given local owners raise both. My personal favorite restaurants are the little unnamed store fronts with plastic chairs and tables. Picture-based menus show what you’ll get (pollo=chicken, carne=beef). You are served a soup (usually with potatoes, fresh herbs, and some sort of animal part for-flavoring. It's not uncommon to find a chicken foot in your soup), your choice of meat, some rice and vegetables.

Where to eat: Anywhere, rural or urban, within business hours. Most small-time shops close early, as the occupants themselves have families.

In Argentina & Uruguay - the region’s steaks and wine are the best I've ever eaten. Miles and miles of grass fed beef in the pampas and pantanal are world famous. A Malbec from Mendoza's wine region is also renowned.

Where to eat: Ask for the parilla or popular (bbq in spanish). Parrilla Peña and El Ferroviario are two Buenos Aires favorites. Mercado del Puerto and La Perdiz in Montevideo. But in all honesty, my favorite parillas have been little steak shops in small towns throughout rural Argentina. Ask around for the town favorite, you won’t be disappointed.

In Brazil: churrascarias are the meat-eaters paradise. A buffet of all sorts of meat and vegetables (many places pay by the pound). Waiters circle the room with skewers of thick meat, slicing pieces for their clients. In Rio de Janeiro, eat at Porcão and Churrascaria Palace. In Sao Paolo try Churrascaria Vento Haragano and Fogo de Chão.

In the Amazon: all sorts of things. It’s home to the world’s greatest array of biodiversity and anything edible may be on the table. Barbecued gusanos (worms, the size and thickness of an adult thumb) are especially satisfying. The grill master plucks them from a wooden bowl full of straw. They are thrown on top of a smoking grill, still fresh and wiggling. You hear them sizzle, blacken a tinge. Then you eat them with plantain chips and the faintest makings of a salad. Don’t knock it til you try it - they’re meaty and smoky, with only a slight crunch of the bulbous red head.

Where to eat: Many corner stores and street market grills around small towns in Amazonia. Ask for “suri“ or “gusano“ in Spanish.

There are lots of Amazonian specialties though - insects, fish (piranhas are a novelty), snake, rodent, ungulate, birds - there’s a lot out there. Just be careful what you’re eating is harvested sustainably and humanely. Don’t eat something that you don’t trust it’s source. Note: I'd counsel against monkey for all of those reasons - plus possible disease transmission and declining wild populations (though it’s important to recognize some cultures have eaten them sustainably for thousands of years).

Coastal Seafood: Every coastal country has their own fresh catch specialties. I’ll note a few unique locations that I fondly remembered:

Snow Crab in Ushuaia, Argentina: the Snow Crab reigns supreme in the world’s most southerly port town, nicknamed, “the end of the world”. The massive crab feeds at least 2 people and is fresh caught daily. I’d recommend El Viejo Marino, where the Old Mariner himself showed freshly caught crabs to customers before we ate them.

Japanese-Peruvian Fusión in Lima, Peru: this multicultural city has a high concentration of Japanese immigrants. The blended cultural influence is known as Nikkei. Freshly caught fish is prepared in renowned sushi rolls, as well as other fusion dishes with a Latin blend of tropical fish, quinoa, or ají peppers. Eat at Edo and Matsui in Lima.

Caribbean blend in Cartagena, Colombia: South America’s Caribbean coast provides a unique blend of spice with seafood. The multicultural fusion is best eaten in open-air cafe’s or beneath exquisite historic facades. Try Don Juan’s Restaurant.