Peru celebrates 2 decades of a fast-growing breed of guinea pigs eaten as a delicacy

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru on Thursday celebrated two decades since the creation of a genetically modified breed of guinea pig, a rodent whose meat has formed a part of the diet of people in the Andean nation for thousands of years.

The genetically modified breed of guinea pig — known as cuy locally — is called “Peru.” It was created in 2004 at the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation, Juan Solórzano, a research zootechnician, said in the middle of one of the institute’s farms where thousands of guinea pigs are raised for study.

What characterizes the “Peru” breed is that grows faster, reaching a weight of 1 kilogram in 56 days, rather than the 160 days that was needed before, Solórzano said.

“It is a precocious breed,” said Solórzano.

Guinea pigs are native to the Andes Mountains and are raised in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, areas where the Inca Empire spread almost 500 years ago.

There are more than 25 million guinea pigs in Peru, according to official figures. The rodent is so popular in the South American country that authorities have decreed the second Friday of October as National Guinea Pig Day to encourage its consumption.

Internal migration from Peru’s Andes in the 20th century brought the custom of eating guinea pigs to the country's Pacific coast.

“It is eaten at sporting events or religious festivals. Guinea pig is a festive dish,” Solórzano said. It is also used in ritual healing practices by being rubbed over the body of a sick person.

Marina Isabel Briceño, an employee at an air conditioning supply company, said she has eaten guinea pigs since she was a child, calling them a delicacy served at “special events.”

Born in the Cajamarca region, Briceño said that at baptisms the parents often give the godfather and godmother a tray with more than a dozen guinea pigs that have been fried and are “crispy and ready to eat.”

“I know it is a rodent, a distant relative of rats, but those animals eat garbage, whereas guinea pigs eat something else, tender corn leaves which is why they are tasty,” she said.

Juan Carlos Solorzano holds a newborn Peru Guinea Pig at an agricultural research farm where breeding animals are raised for distribution to farms across the country, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Peruvian guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Butchers hold guinea pigs behind the glass of a refrigerator at a market in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Costumers eat guinea pig at a restaurant in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Peru Guinea Pigs are bred at an agricultural research farm to distribute to farms across the country, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Peruvian guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

A cook fries guinea pigs at a restaurant in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Peru Guinea Pigs are bred at an agricultural research farm for distribution to farms across the country, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Peruvian guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

A guinea pig dish is ready to be served to a customer at a restaurant in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

A Peru Guinea Pig stands at an agricultural research farm where breeding animals are raised for distribution to farms across the country, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Peruvian guinea pigs, locally known as 'cuy,' have been traditionally raised for meat consumption since pre-Inca times. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

LONDON (AP) — Actor--comedian Russell Brand arrived at a London court on Friday to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women.

Brand, 49, was swarmed by photographers as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for his first hearing since being charged last month.

As police tried to control the scrum, a man shouted “No one is above the law, Russell Brand!”

Brand faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault. The alleged offenses took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London.

In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims by four women of being sexually assaulted or raped by Brand. The accusers have not been identified.

The comedian, author and “Get Him To The Greek” actor has been interviewed by police about the allegations, which he denies.

Brand has denied engaging in “non-consensual activity.”

Known for his unbridled and risqué standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television and wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol. He has appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.

In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. He recently said he had moved to the United States.

Actor--comedian Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)