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A frog in my throat

March 27, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 15 Comments

FOOD EXPERIENCE

Drinking frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

I feel like I’m about to drink Kermit.

I’m here in the small local market of Arequipa, a city in the south of Peru. Around me, Peruvians are doing their shopping at the crowded fruit stalls and the meat shops with more flies than feel hygienic.

But I’ve walked right past them. There’s just one thing on my menu this afternoon – ‘jugo de rana’ as it’s called in Spanish. In English, it translates as ‘juice of the frog’.

The juice bar is towards the back of the market, a small red and white sign marks its location. There is nothing written in English, no tacky advertisements to attract foreigners, and no inflated prices.

This is a little shop for locals and without fellow blogger Tammy (of Tammy and Chris on the Move) who is living in Arequipa at the moment, I would never have found out about it.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

The drink they sell here is called frog juice because that is quite literally what it is. It’s made from frog. At least… that’s one of the ingredients (and more on that shortly).

There is also a mixture of Andean plants that have been part of the diet of people here for centuries but are generally only found in health food stores in other countries. Things like chia, maca and coca.

And it’s this mixture of ingredients that makes a drink of frog juice so special in Peru. It’s considered to be an almost spiritual beverage – something that has been passed down through generations as long as can be remembered.

People claim it has incredible curative properties and can be used to treat things like asthma, bronchitis and anaemia. It also apparently gives drinkers a natural energy boost. Oh, and it’s considered to be an aphrodisiac that boosts sex drive.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

This is why the locals come here for their regular dose of the juice. And that’s why we, as foreigners, get a slightly odd look when we turn up at the stall.

I’m sure we’re not the first tourists who have come to try such an oddity but I get the feeling that the man making the drinks doesn’t wanted to be treated as a novelty. We show him some respect and he offers to demonstrate how he creates his concoction.

This is the part where things get a bit ‘icky’.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

The man opens up the lid of a large bucket and reaches in. Around his hand, dozens of small brown frogs hop around. He expertly wraps his fingers around one and pulls it out, closing the lid over the others. This is the little guy who I will Kermit murder for.

The frog, I hope, feels no pain. I console myself with this fact as I watch the man quickly and efficiently whack the animal’s head against the bench. An instant death in the most humane way possible. Luckily I hadn’t had time to give it a name.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

The man then expertly skins the frog with his hands, peeling it in just seconds. The meat and the bones of the frog are then thrown into a pan and cooked for a minute until it’s no longer raw.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

The blender is brought out next. Into it, the man puts the cooked frog meat and then pours in all the other ingredients – a brown slightly sludgy mix of local plants.

This is the special blend of organic goodness of things like maca, chia and coca that gives the drink its body. Everything is blended up together until it looks like a smoothie.

The final step is to pour this through a strainer into a glass so there are no bone fragments in what is presented to me over the counter.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru
Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

Now is the moment of truth, as I lift the glass towards me and wrap my lips around the straw. I’m a bit hesitant – what is this going to taste like?

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

Well, I’m pleasantly surprised. The overriding taste is of maca, the root vegetable native to the high Andes of Peru that makes up the body of the drink. It tastes earthy and a bit malty.

It’s hard – almost impossible – to taste anything that might resemble a frog, even if the liquid is the right colour for that.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

Although the mixture has been blended, it’s not completely smooth and it’s a bit gluggy, like a thickshake. I can’t drink it too quickly but that’s not a problem.

I feel like it’s something I should be taking my time with. So I sit here with Tammy and we sip at the drinks until they’re done, we thank the man for his patience, and we wander back out of the market into the streets of Arequipa.

Frog juice, Arequipa, Peru

As we walk along, I begin to notice some of the effects the frog juice drink is known for. I certainly have a lot of energy and I’m almost bouncing down the street a little.

I find myself talking quickly and my heart is racing a little faster. It feels a bit like when you have had too much coffee… although a more organic version of that, if that makes sense.

Perhaps it’s the coca in the drink (the product that cocaine is made from) or maybe it’s the combination of all the ingredients. Including the frog.

Poor Kermit may have not dominated the taste and may only have been a small part of the final drink, but I still drank him. I have to live with the knowledge I had a frog in my throat. Ribbit.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN AREQUIPA

I would recommend staying in the historic centre of Arequipa. It’s the most beautiful part and there’s lots of great accommodation.

BACKPACKER

I would recommend Friendly AQP as a really comfortable backpacker option.

BUDGET

There are lots of affordable hotels but I think El Portal De San Lázaro is one of the best value.

BOUTIQUE

For something more upmarket, Palla Boutique Hotel is beautiful and has an incredible rooftop!

LUXURY

And when it comes to luxury, I think the nicest hotel in the city is CIRQA – Relais & Châteaux.

Peru Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PERU?

See my Peru Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Peru:

  • The best things to do in Peru – a complete list!
  • What you need to know about visiting Machu Picchu
  • A wonderful alternative to the crowded Inca Trail trek
  • The story behind the Incan city of Cusco
  • Why Colca Canyon is one of Peru’s special natural sights
  • The incredible Nazca Lines and what they might mean
  • See this ancient mud city before it’s gone!
  • Hiking in the Andes from Huaraz
  • The site of the first civilisation in the Americas
  • An ancient tribe of sex and drugs
  • What to expect in the second-largest city of Arequipa

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Peru tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Peru.

You could consider:

  • The Inca Journey (10 days)
  • Absolute Peru (21 days)
  • National Geographic Journey (16 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. TammyOnTheMove |

    October 14, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    Reply

    Ha ha, it was a pleasure drinking the frog juice with you. I have had it one more time since actually. I could get used to it, you know? 🙂

  2. Kiger |

    October 14, 2014 at 8:20 pm

    Reply

    I’m glad I read this post and thanks for sharing your adventures! Still, poor frog..

  3. Iris Milton |

    October 14, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    Reply

    Funny story and interesting to read. Thank you for sharing your experience! I will try it as soon as possible!

  4. Puru |

    October 14, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    Reply

    Now I am trying to digest this fact 😀

  5. Mark and Cindy - s/v Cream Puff |

    October 14, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    Reply

    Coming to a McDonalds near you soon. McKermit Shakes!

    Mark and Cindy
    s/v Cream Puff

  6. Megan |

    October 15, 2014 at 1:12 am

    Reply

    It took me two attempts to finish this. I started reading before breakfast, got to the bit about peeling the frog and closed the article. I am so impressed you drank the whole thing. Would you have another one?

  7. BlogDaz |

    October 15, 2014 at 1:32 am

    Reply

    I wonder if that would catch on here in Thailand, yuk. You’re a brave man Michael !.

  8. Red Hunt |

    October 15, 2014 at 7:49 am

    Reply

    Very interesting! I hadn’t heard of this before, but the concoction sounds like it could taste half decent. I once ate whole, fried frogs (bones, butts and all) and there wasn’t much flavour to them.

  9. Stephanie - The Travel Chica |

    October 19, 2014 at 2:22 am

    Reply

    Wow. Just wow.

  10. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    October 20, 2014 at 1:19 am

    Reply

    Wow, what a unique drink! Sounds definitely worth trying! Very interesting read!

  11. Flora || Flora the Explorer |

    October 27, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    Reply

    I can’t believe I missed this delicacy in Arequipa! 😛 I hope you chased this drink with the fresh ceviche a few stalls away though – some of the best ceviche I ate in Latin America was in Arequipa market.

  12. Natalie Tanner |

    October 4, 2016 at 6:30 pm

    Reply

    Kermit murder……LOL. Love that. 😉

  13. Lorraine |

    June 24, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    Reply

    Just by reading the title make me cringe. Nevertheless, I’m not closing any door in trying this juice. haha

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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