Even those who produce it are afraid to eat this cheese — would you risk it?
Not all Italian dishes want to be safely consumed.
One of these is Casu Marzu cheese, which is produced in Sardinia. It would seem, what is its danger? But the foreign delicacy got into the Guinness Book of Records as «the most dangerous cheese in the world.»
The fact is that sheep’s pecorino cheese first rots for a while, and then a small incision is made in it so that the cheese fly gets into it. It lays larvae in the cheese, which, by digestion, convert the solid product into a creamy paste.
The taste of the product in 2000 was perfectly described by the journalist Yaroslav Trofimov. He called Kasa Marza a viscous and pungent mess that burns the tongue and affects the organs.
To enjoy the cheese overcooked by the larvae, the seller cuts it on top and removes a creamy piece of already Casa Marza. Everything would be fine if larvae continued to crawl in the product, which, when opening the delicacy, can jump 15 centimeters.
That is why everyone who wants to taste the cheese is offered to wear goggles so that the larvae do not get into their eyes.
It doesn’t sound tasty, and it’s considered dangerous. In addition to the fact that the product can cause an allergic reaction, the offspring of the cheese fly can also settle in the human intestine and eat small holes in it.
There is not a single recorded case that this has ever happened, but this cannot be ruled out.
Due to the health hazards, and also because «rotten cheese» is considered a contaminated product, its sale in Italy is officially prohibited.
On the territory of Sardinia, this ban is often violated, and the cheese is sold illegally. But in 2010, Casu Matsu was recognized as a cultural property of Sardinia and allowed again. Its cost is three times the price of pecorino cheese.
