“The Food Shortage is Real!” Woman Shocked as Frozen Rodents Sold in NYC Shop

A woman freaks out after she discovers frozen rodents are being sold at a New York City store.

In a video going viral on social media, the unidentified woman picks up packages labeled “cuy” as she remarks the city is now tackling its rat infestation problem by packaging and selling them as a food shortage looms.

“Oh my god, are you serious?” the woman says in disbelief.

“They are bagging up rats now guys – the food shortage is real. Look at this sh*t are you f*ckin sh*ttin me? This is a rat.”

Another viral video shows a short hispanic woman spit-roasting several of the rodents over an open fire on a sidewalk.

“They’re cooking rats in New York City now,” a caption on the video reads.

While the appearance that rats are being sold at a New York City store and being openly cooked may be quite jarring, the creatures are actually guinea pigs, which when prepared properly are a Peruvian cultural delicacy known as “cuy.”

From Atlas Obscura:

Guinea pigs are beloved pets in North America, serving as fluffy, docile household companions. They are beloved in Peru and Ecuador as well, but their role more closely resembles that of livestock: They are raised to be eaten. In the Andes, where guinea pigs originated and are known as cuy, they are a popular meat for grilling, frying, and roasting. 

Seven Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay sampled the native dish in Peru in a recent episode of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.

“As a Peruvian I ain’t never seen something as sweet and mystical as cooking like this,” wrote one YouTube commenter. “But also guinea pigs are yummy fort real. [sic] Not a common meal in the capital but genuinely yummy.”

Rats, or guinea pigs, are certainly not part of American cuisine, however as more illegal immigrants continue to pour across the open border, this type of rodent-cooking may become more commonplace.

It’s also not out of the realm of possibility that in the event of a food shortage starving Americans could turn to rats, or guinea pigs, as a sustainable food source.