What about drinking chicha?

[Mountie]

Denise and omegaet, I have been corresponding with a private guide I am considering employing for a day or two while in Peru. He has invited me to leave the tourist restaurants behind for a day and go in search of traditional foods and homemade chicha. I know both of you have spent time in Peru and I recalled some comments omegaet had posted some time ago regarding drinking homemade chicha in Ecuador.

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So what are your thoughts Denise and omegaet, should I go for it and try the real stuff? This is probably my one and only trip to Peru.

I have that emergency medical evacuation insurance provided by American Express, just in case.

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I have to say we did not try the chicha although it could have been the stuff we drank in the Ecuadorian Amazon - we had some interesting stuff there and I can not remember the names of everything we had -lemon ants, grubs, strange tasting drink. piranha - had a hard time eating the live bugs although the ants did really taste like lemon and the grub tasted like a macademia nut. We were not brave enough to try the guinea pig in Peru since we had a few as pets and it just seemed too weird for that! My hubby always is ready and willing to go for the real stuff and has never been ill, I, however, tend to be a bit more picky in what I eat - I am surprised that I did actually try the live bugs

[omegaet]

Well, mountie, it really depends on which type of chicha you are considering. Unless you simply must have one of those 'been there - done that" experiences, I would caution you to abstain or take only a sip or two of the traditional Inca chicha. If you and a guide are planning to visit an out of the way village and you are invited into someone's home, you may very well be offered and expected to drink some of their homemade chicha.

This will almost guarantee "Imodium Moments" for you during the following few days, given their traditional brewing techniques (can you say mastication) and water sources. On the other hand, you can find the traditional chicha available in a number of smaller restaurants in some of the larger town (Urubamba has a number of places that offer it), and I believe that's one of the towns you will be visiting.

Also, there is chicha morado, which is not fermented and is both homemade as well as commercially available all over the Peruvian Andean communities. It is made by boiling purple or blue corn and usually enhanced with different spices as well as fresh fruit (pineapple is favorite) or fruit flavors. You might want to taste this drink the first opportunity you have.

If you like it, you can buy a concentrated liquid version at the duty free shops on your way out of the Lima airport. We bought about ten packages when we were there last and put it in our carry-on.

We mix up a batch now and then when friends come over.....my neighbor likes to add vodka (but he will add vodka to almost anything).

p.s....Denise, we tasted those lemon ants during our stay at Kapawi Lodge in Ecuador. We became some what addicted to their taste and encouraged out guide to find them for us on our daily jungle treks.

We've since given up ants, since the local population is purported not to have the same citrus taste!

[Mountie]

Well, I'm up for trying some of the chicha, but I'll skip the guinea pig and bugs. I had a couple of pet guinea pigs when I was a kid, and I would probably have a flash back if I attempted to eat one today.

As for bugs, I am sure I eat them and their droppings in many of the restaurants I visit right here in the US.

[kyshel]

Mountie--hopefully you'll email us a blog mention whilst under the influence of chicha? I really wanted to find a guinea pig dinner when we visited last July, but no luck.
It's a bit dated but this article is amusing:
Peru Pushes Guinea Pigs As Food - CBS News

[Mountie]

kyshel and -O-, I understand from information I have gotten from my potential guide, they probably won't be offering Guinea pig at the Aranwa, even if I wanted to try it. He did promise to take my to local places that serve it, just in case I change my mind. Not likely!

I will try some chicha for certain. Maybe I'll like it. If not, it won't be the first time I have spit out something!

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Include me on that blog mention whilst under the influence ;-)

I always wondered when folks from the Andean countries immigrate to the US - do they go to Pet Smart to buy that special dinner ;-0
Pet Smart has a form folks need to sign when they adopt an animal swearing the animal won't be abused and be well taken care of - I bet no one thought of adding a line saying the guinea pig being adopted will not be eaten.

[bonniejoy03]

YUCKY D! (but an interesting point!)