LIMA, PERU // It’s the juice that’s all the rage in Peru. But first, catch your frog from the shores of Lake Titicaca.
They are the main ingredient in a juice blend that some believe has the power to cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive.
To make the mix, which is sold in the Andes and in the capital, Lima, juicemaker Maria Elena Cruz takes a frog from a small aquarium and kills it by whacking it on the counter of her juice stall. She peels off the skin and drops the little fellow into a blender with carrots, the Peruvian maca root and honey, before pouring out the greenish juice.
“Frog juice is good for anaemia, bronchitis, bones, the brain, fatigue and stress,” Ms Cruz says.
Children and adults alike come to her juice stall, especially people with anaemia, respiratory issues and tuberculosis.
The frogs are from the Telmatobius culeus species locally known as the Titicaca water frog.
It is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Cecilia Cahuana, 35, who believes in the health benefits of the frog juice, says: “It cures asthma and bronchitis, and it has vitamins and plenty of proteins.”
* Associated Press
Rodrigo Abd / AP Photo
