Diners have to dig in before the maggots die." Poor Pecorino. If so, this illegal Italian oddity is for you. Making Casu Marzu is simple. Interesting Casu Marzu Facts: 16-20. When you come face to face with a round it's not hard to see why. As the larvae hatch and eat through the cheese, it softens. This CNN article outlines why, as others have pointed out, banned for commercial sale, but locals still eat it. In 2009, the maggot cheese became the "most dangerous cheese in the world for human health", by the Guinness World Records. In Sardinia, Italy, it's rather accepted. One final disgusting point is that many people wear eye protection when eating the cheese, as the maggots can actually jump up to 15 centimetres in the air! This alters the texture of the cheese so that it's soft and liquid seeps out. The cheese used in Sicily is often the fiore sardo, a salty variety of pecorino. Once this process comes to an end, the . Because of the obvious health implications, the European Union banned the cheese, however it is still available on the black market today. First, making the cheese itself is extraordinarily time-intensive. A must for all cheese lovers, Casu Marzu is a sheep's milk cheese derived from Sardinia's local specialty: Pecorino. Then, you cut small holes into the fermented cheese and leave it outside so that flies can lay eggs into it. Casu Marzu Most Americans would cringe at the sight of live maggots crawling through a wheel of pecorino in the fridge. The cheese has been illegal to sell in Italy since 1962, due to a food safety law regarding eating food with insects and parasites. A luxurious herby twist on a veggie pasta classic Bring a large, deep pan of salted water to the boil. When you eat the cheese, you also eat the maggots. Once the eggs hatch, the maggots eat their way through the cheese, transforming it into a soft and creamy one. Sardinians believe that the cheese is dangerous after the maggots are dead, and thanks to the health and safety issues of the cheese, which is why it's illegal in the EU. 3. It is technically outlawed and is considered to be an illegal product. | Flipboard Yes, that's right, it's banned in the country where it originates. Photo: Gengis90 /Shutterstock. As with the blowfish flavor and the horse meat, the maggot cheese was developed with the help of flavor scientists, so no . The third flavor, Casu Marzu, or maggot cheese, is illegal everywhere. The cheese itself is made from sheep's milk like a standard pecorino, but once it is formed into a solid wheel the top is cut off and it's left out in . Casu martzu (Sardinian pronunciation: [ˈkazu ˈmaɾtsu]; literally 'rotten/putrid cheese'), sometimes spelled casu marzu, and also called casu modde, casu cundídu and casu fràzigu in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae ().A variation of the cheese, casgiu merzu, is also produced in some Southern Corsican villages like Sartene. Why Is Casu Marzu illegal. This cheese is illegal not only in the U.S., but also in the entire European Union. Image Description: A brown ceramic bowl filled with casu marzu cheese surrounded by meats and buckets of olives. In Sardinian language, which is distinct from Italian, casu marzu translates to rotten cheese. Then you've got to let it ferment. Plus, Sweden's Flying Jacob, haggis and other strange foods from around the world. The cheese is deliberately infected with insect larvae (maggots). After the fermentation process, the cheese is left to rot among swarms of fly larvae. Hazards of Dining Aside from the sheer cringe factor of eating live worms (Sardinians believe that the cheese is unsafe to eat when the maggots have died) eating casu marzu can be logistically challenging. * Well, to say I have audited some of the very best da. Being a cheese writer, I knew that Casu Marzu was the traditional Sardinian specialty full of live maggots.Being a cheese enthusiast, I saw this as a chance for rare, cheesy . I suppose some powerful industries are opposed to it, but I can't for the life of me think of why. Explore this storyboard about Food, Cheese by HowStuffWorks on Flipboard. A typical casu marzu is thought to be home to . Also: Some say it's an aphrodisiac. According to Atlas Obscu ra, you've got to make sheep's milk cheese (pecorino). Many of you will be turning your nose up at the idea of eating maggots probably even more so when you think that the cheese is so much more tastier if the maggot is still alive when you eat it. And one surprising food item that is not illegal: Roadkill. Its production is dwindling, and not many people craft this special cheese in the modern-day world of the squeamish. 16. Who was the human founding father of this maggot cheese? It's produced by heating either sheep or cow's milk or a combination of the two, which then sits for approximately 21 days to enable curdling. Italy's 'casu marzu' is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that houses live maggots in it. Italy's Casu Marzu takes pairing cheese and insects a big step further. Of course, the maggots have to get into the cheese in the first place. About a year ago I saw a tweet announcing that the famed Casu Marzu, the cheese banned by the EU until recently, was residing no further than a short train ride from my apartment at a restaurant in Queens. Casu Marzu has gained infamy for being the most dangerous and illegal cheeses in the world for a number of reasons. Although the cheese takes a long time (around 6 months) to make but the process itself is somewhat easy. In 2009, the Guinness World Records dubbed casu marzu the most dangerous cheese in the world, specifically pointing out the threats it poses to "human health.". Maggot-infested cheese: Casu Marzu. It's said that Casu Marzu has been made on Sardinia for thousands of years, which is why the local communities dotted around the island regard it as a vital part of their culinary heritage. Casu Marzu, which means rotten cheese, is the world's most dangerous cheese which is infested with Maggots. | Flipboard Yes, all cheese is technically moldy, but casu marzu takes that meaning to a whole new level: The cheese is rotten because it's infested with maggots. Making Casu Marzu is simple. Mimolette. 6. Why Is It Illegal? The six mites per square inch ruling is that there can't be no more than six mites per square inch. Answer (1 of 5): Casu martzu (AKA casu marzu, casu modde, casu cundídu and casu fràzigu) is eaten only on Sardinia (and some parts of Corsica, France where it's named casgiu merzu or casgiu marzu). Italy's 'casu marzu' is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that houses live maggots in it. If a warm sirocco wind blows on the cheesemaking day, the cheese-transforming magic works even harder. This happens thanks to the cheese skipper flies, or Piophila casei, who lay their eggs in cracks in the cheese. This cheese is usually made in Sardinia, Italy by some traditionals households and the . The cheese used in Sicily is often the fiore sardo, a salty variety of pecorino. Yes, maggots. This creamy, spreadable cheese is made from sheep's milk. Others say that it could be dangerous for human health as maggots could survive the bite and and create myiasis, micro-perforations in the intestine, but so far, no such case has been linked to casu . Fake edit: Apparently Trump was in favor of ending the ban as a costcutting measure, but there was lots of political opposition, including from lobby groups like United Horsemen and the bipartisan Animal Protection Caucus. If your casu marzu contains dead maggots, it usually means the cheese has gone bad. Take a wheel of Pecorino, cut off the rind and then leave it outside for a couple of months - until flies start to lay their eggs inside. This happens thanks to the cheese skipper flies, or Piophila casei, who lay their eggs in cracks in the cheese. The larvae or maggots feed on the cheese, digesting and passing it, resulting in the cheese's distinct soft and creamy texture and rich flavour. This is why Casu Marzu is notorious for being the world's most dangerous and illegal cheese. This cheese from the Italian island of Sardinia is made from sheep's milk and contains live maggots. Casu Marzu, often called the world's most dangerous cheese, is an illegal cheese found in Sardinia, Italy, made from sheep's milk and infested with live maggots. Casu Marzu is just one of our Italian food customs that for a number of years was in fact illegal to produce and sell. The best way of serving the Maggot Cheese is to spread it on a moistened Sardinian flatbread and eat with pretty strong red wine. While the live maggots can make great tasting cheese, when the maggots die it can be very unsafe to eat. Well, no one really knows for sure, but like most inventions - it probably happened by complete accident, and someone thought it a newly-created dish fit for the Gods . A must for all cheese lovers, Casu Marzu is a sheep's milk cheese derived from Sardinia's local specialty: Pecorino. Then in 2002, EU regulators made things worse. It is . Explore this storyboard about Food, Cheese by HowStuffWorks on Flipboard. Maggot-infested cheese: Casu Marzu. Why is maggot cheese so expensive? The maggots in the cheese get upset when the cheese is disturbed and can actually jump around. The US banned this cheese not only for it unpasteurized sheep milk but for the maggots themselves. Take a wheel of Pecorino, cut off the rind and then leave it outside for a couple of months - until flies start to lay their eggs inside. (Source: Shardan/ Wikimedia Commons) Italy might be the ideal place for someone looking for a food adventure, but a mouthful of cheese with a maggot or two might take the fun out of it. However, my Canadian employers did multi-millions of dollars with the Americans. 15. They go against the six mites per square inch ruling. After the fermentation process, the cheese is left to rot among swarms of fly larvae. The FDA's strict rules on production and import have ordered a list of strangely unique cheeses, ones that are unpasteurized and usually aged less than 60 days, illegal in the US. Since maggots can actually live inside the intestine (ew), consuming this cheese poses a significant health risk. Casu Marzu literally contains thousands of maggots inside it and Sardinians actually consider the Casu Marzu to be unsafe for eating if the maggot die inside the cheese. This alters the texture of the cheese so that it's soft and liquid seeps out. The culinary tradition keeps. A certified BNOC of 'Top 10 Most Disgusting Foods' lists and placed as the corner of Libertarian-Right in a recent Oxfess, casu marzu (literally translated as rotten cheese) has never been a particularly popular delicacy outside of Sardinia. (Source: Shardan/ Wikimedia Commons) Italy might be the ideal place for someone looking for a food adventure, but a mouthful of cheese with a maggot or two might take the fun out of it. Kennislink. Casu marzu is illegal in the United States and throughout Europe, including Italy. Answer (1 of 3): * I did not work directly for the American dairy industry. Known as 'maggot cheese' and originating from Sardinia, this variety includes thousands of live maggots. Plus, Sweden's Flying Jacob, haggis and other strange foods from around the world. Hailing from Sardinia, Casu Marzu is made with sheep's milk, then left out so it can attract flies. According to the Huffington Post, this cheese, called Casu Marzu, is meant to be eaten while the creepy crawlies are still alive, and its distinct flavor essentially comes from maggot feces. Would You Eat Casu Marzu, the Illegal Cheese With Maggots? A Sardinian specialty made by allowing cheese skipper flies to lay thousands of eggs in a wheel of pecorino, casu . Fancello says it's because the cheese has a weaker structure, making the fly's job easier.. Yes, maggots. Finely chop 2 tbsp of fresh mint leaves, grate 35g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, and finely grate the zest from 1 lemon. Making Casu Marzu This interesting cheese goes back to the charming Italian island of Sardinia, located in the Mediterranean Sea. This cheese is illegal not only in the U.S., but also in the entire European Union. 17 most dangerous foods . * During this time: I was very fortunate to work with the American dairy industry. This cheese is . Would You Eat Casu Marzu, the Illegal Cheese With Maggots? "Some who have tasted it have felt its "burn" and have even suffered from irreparable damages to their stomachs", states an articled published by Cafe Babel The Sardinians went ballistic on this!