A moment from Top Chef VIP is generating a strong reaction on social media after one of the contestants burst into tears upon discovering the ingredient she had to prepare: a whole guinea pig, also known as a cavy.
The participant is Mexican actress Nailea Norvind, who could not hide her shock upon encountering the animal. Upon seeing it, she began to cry and said: “It’s a baby”, while expressing her objection to having to cook it.
The moment quickly sparked a discussion among viewers. Some harshly criticized the program for presenting the animal that way and questioned the decision to use it as an ingredient on television.
“Who thought it was a good idea to have the animal’s corpse like that so they could cook it on television”, wrote one user, while another questioned the staging: “The production is awful, who thought it was a good idea to put it in the fetal position, all to generate its stupid content?”
Others were even harsher and went so far as to question those who defended eating the animal: “Those who say it’s tasty are sick; I suppose you eat dogs too”.
But the other side of the discussion also emerged. Some viewers considered the reaction exaggerated and recalled that the guinea pig is eaten as food in various parts of South America, especially in Andean regions.
“They eat beef, chicken, fish and get outraged over a guinea pig. And yes, guinea pig is eaten like any other animal”, commented another person.
In fact, guinea pig is not an unusual food in several Latin American countries. Its consumption is part of Andean culinary traditions and it can be found prepared in different ways, especially in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.
That’s why the video ended up sparking a discussion that goes far beyond the participant’s reaction: Is cooking an animal that many people consider a pet any different, even though in other cultures it is a traditional food?
As social media remains divided between those who consider the scene unnecessarily cruel and those who point out that it is an animal traditionally eaten, the moment became one of the most talked-about of this season of Top Chef VIP.
Watch the video here: