What does chinchilla taste like?

About five years ago, at a chinchilla show, I met a South American chinchilla rancher who was showing his chinchillas and selling pelts. I spoke to him a little bit about chinchillas in the wild and asked if he'd ever eaten chinchilla. read more

I spoke to him a little bit about chinchillas in the wild and asked if he'd ever eaten chinchilla. He said yes, he definitely had, and that they were an oilier meat - like duck or goose - and tasted very similar to their relatives the guinea pigs and other smaller rodents of that variety that feed mainly on grass and seeds. read more

However, their meat is very oily, with a texture like duck and a taste similar to guinea pig meat. While chinchillas as a food-source is not well documented, guinea pigs as a food-source is prevalent in many parts of the world because of their quick breeding cycle and minimal care requirments. read more

The plains viscacha is a member of the chinchilla family, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like a large rat. It also happens to be delicious. The plains viscacha is a member of the chinchilla family, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like a large rat. read more