Cheese is a particularly interesting, and varied, category of food, with different types made all over the world. They can be strong and pungent or mild, hard and crumbly or soft and smooth, with colors ranging from white to blue, yellow to beige. So would you be surprised to learn that a Sardinian sheep milk cheese is actually made using flies? Casu Marzu - roughly translated as "rotten cheese" - is made by purposefully allowing fly maggots to grow inside the cheese. This peculiar traditional method produces a soft cheese with a strong taste, and is surrounded by controversy. The traditional food's questionable legality makes it quite captivating. Read on for more information about this exotic piece of European tradition.
Casu Marzu, from the island of Sardinia (found in other forms throughout neighboring European regions) is made from Pecorino cheese, which is left outside in the elements. Piophila Casei flies then lay their eggs in the cheese, and the resulting maggots are allowed to consume and process the cheese. This breaks down the fats in the Pecorino, and results in a soft, watery cheese with a strong smell and taste. When featured on "Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern", the show's host described the cheese as "so ammoniated" that "it scortches your tongue a bit". It is known to leave a strong aftertaste, sometimes for hours after consumption.
The larvae used to create Casu Marzu are interesting in and of themselves. The small (.3 inch), translucent white insects can actually jump up to 6 inches. Depending on who you ask, the cheese is either considered completely unsafe for consumption, or only unsafe once the maggots have died. The fact that Casu Marzu is usually consumed with the live maggots still present (you read that correctly) that makes for an interesting party dip. The cheese is usually served on flat bread with a strong red wine.
What do you think? Is maggot cheese just too strange for your palette, or would you give the cheese a try? Let us know what you think via Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.
