Casu marzu (Sardinian cheese) : The casu marzu (also called in Sardinian: casu frazigu, casu modde or casu cundhídu) is a cheese Sardinian, known to be seeded by larvae alive. In Sardinian language, casu marzu means “rotten cheese” (formaggio marcio in Italian). It is the close island cousin of Corsican cheese casgiu merzu, which has in its form maggots alive (casgiu merzu also meaning “rotten cheese” in Corsica) and which are eaten (…) in certain Corsican villages.
Making the casu marzu: Sa recipe is derived from pecorino sardo, but casu marzu is not limited to classic fermentation: it is brought to its final stage of fermentation thanks to the digestive action of the fly larvae cheese, Piophila casei, deliberately introduced into the cheese. They generate an advanced level of fermentation and break the Fatty acids. The texture du cheese then becomes very soft, And a liquid (called “lagrima”, tear) flows out. The larvae themselves appear in the cheese as transparent white worms, about 8 mm long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump out to distances of up to 15 cm, hence the eye protection recommendations for those eating this cheese.
The cheese isaffinity therefore continuously thanks to the activity of larvae, however to stop the evolution of the latter, the cheese can be put in a refrigerated enclosure (which puts the larvae) or it can be cleaned of these.
Appearance and taste: It is not obligatory to eat the toward, some remove them and others keep them at the time of tasting.
Traditionally, the casu marzu is tartine on pain thin and crunchy Sardinian” (called pane carasau) and is enjoyed with a Cannonau glass (a Red wine Sardinian) or a robust local red wine.
This cheese is generally opened from above: a sort of cap is cut at the top, then the inside is hollowed out and scraped out. However, it can be cut into quarters like any cheese.
Its taste is similar to an old cheese sheep, became very strong and piquancy, to flavor is persistent et powerfule.
In The Wall Street Journal in 2000, Yaroslav Trofimov described cheese as "glue viscous et stinky which burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the human body. Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter:
“He […] grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, quickly rinsed it under water to soften it, and went to a large glass jar on one side of the table. He opened the jar, scooped out a lump of something resembling heavy cream, and folded the bread into it. […] When he had finished, I asked him what he had eaten, and he went to show me. Inside the jar there was pecorino cheese filled with little white worms. I had heard of this cheese before, but this was the first time I saw it up close. […] A friend of his then said, “it’s formaggio marcio (literally “rotten cheese”), a cheese with worms. It's a treat. This is the most beautiful gift you can give to a Sardinian shepherd. » »
— Susan Herrmann Loomis, 2002 Bon Appétit article
Casu marzu is wrongly considered the most dangerous cheese in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, it is boycotted by the Americans just like its cousin mimolette which is prepared with cirons (small mites) or even certain cheeses seeded by let's craft like French cheese Velay.
This is how cheese is described in the guide Extreme Cuisine : Exotic Tastes from Around the World published by Lonely Planet: “ Viscous and moving, Casu marzu has a perfect flavor of rot and decomposition with a lingering note of vomit. He burns. »
Food risks: Until 2020, there are no officially recorded cases of food poisoning, but several problems relating to food safety have been addressed, in particular risks of enteric or intestinal myiasis (*). In fact, the fly larvae Piophila boxi could pass alive through the stomach and could settle for some time in the intestine, potentially causing serious damage when trying to cross the intestinal wall. Symptoms would include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea.
(**) Myiasis: Lesion de skin or natural cavities de humans or animals, caused by larvae de flies habitually or accidentally living as parasites.
This would be refuted by Professor Antonio Farris because, according to him, eggs cannot survive because of the high acidity of the stomach. Contamination could, in theory, result if the insect that deposited the eggs had been in contact with previously contaminated products. In this case, the cheese would have a recognizable characteristic color which would then remove it from the production chain.
Due to these potential dangers, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu is prohibited from marketing in the European Union. In Sardinia, however, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and cheese is sold on the black market, at a price three times more expensive than pecorino.
In order to maintain its production, Sardinia declared it as an agri-food product traditional Italian. In 2005, some Sardinian shepherds, in collaboration with the Sassari Agrifood Institute, tried to produce this cheese in a controlled environment.