MAGGOT CHEESE (CASU MARZU)

Maggot Cheese? Yes, you’ve read it right. Have you heard about it? Or perhaps you might have tried this one unique delicacy. 

Maggot cheese, or in Italy known as “Casu Marzu”, is a kind of cheese popular in a particular region in the country, Sardinia. What makes this particular cheese different from the other kinds of cheese is that it is actually filled with live maggots or insect larvae. The term “Casu Marzu” itself in Sardinian means “rotten cheese”.

Casu Marzu originally made from the Pecorino Sardo cheese. Just like its uncommon appearance, casu marzu also has an unusual, even extreme fermentation process, that reaches the stage of decomposition, done by the larvae. The larvae living in the cheese are the a larvae from a particular kind of cheese fly called Piophila Casei. The flies are intentionally let to lay their eggs in the cheese. The eggs then hatch into transparent white maggots. However, sometimes, instead of waiting for the flies to lay eggs, the maggots or larvae are introduced to the cheese.

During the fermentation process, a piece of Pecorino cheese can be populated by thousands of maggots. As the larvae feed on the cheese, they break down the fats in the cheese by doing an advanced level of digestive fermentation. This process produces a unique texture and flavor to the cheese. The texture becomes very soft, and sometimes even very moist so that liquid weeping out of the cheese. It is said to have a very strong, pungent burning taste. Sardinian people usually consume the cheese with Sardinian bread called Pane Carasau and red wine.

Then, how do they eat it? Well, some of the people usually remove the larvae from the cheese before consuming it. However, there are others who choose to eat it along with the larvae. For those who prefer to eat it with the larvae, a unique eating “etiquette” is used. They usually wear eye gear to protect their eyes. This must be done because the larvae have been known to jump up to 6 inches in the air when disturbed.

There is one thing that people who consume the cheese must pay attention to. They must be sure that the maggots or larvae are still alive. Because if there are dead larvae found in the cheese, it indicates that the cheese has decomposed to a toxic state.

However, the production of Casu Marzu is actually violating the Italian hygiene regulations. The Italian health department apparently has prohibited it. The Casu Marzu is considered to be rather dangerous, because it can cause allergic reactions and risk of intestinal larval infection. There is a possibility that the live larvae can pass through stomach and actually live in the intestines. If this happens, the negative effects will appear, as the larvae attempt to bore through the intestinal walls.

Although Casu Marzu is prohibited, it does not stop the Sardinian people to buy the cheese from a black market. Sardinian people already consider the cheese as high-value food. That is why it is usually only served for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and bachelor parties.

Care to try?

* Gathered from many sources.

* All pictures belong to their rightful owners. I'm just borrowing them.