Casu marzu is one cheese pecorino produced with whole sheep milk from Sardinian herds, which can be from soft to completely creamy.
The cheese, however, has a strange history of making it: it is created when Piophila casei, also called the “cheese fly”, leaves its larvae in the cracks created by the fiore sardo cheese, reports the CNN.
The worms then digest the proteins and turn the product into a soft cheese. And when the cheesemaker opens the top – which remains intact from the worms – to get a spoonful of this strange delicacy, the smell is extremely annoying.
The shepherds in Sardinia produce casu marzu, calling it “contaminated cheese”, which in 2009 was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the most dangerous cheese in the world”.
However, the legal status for cheese is not fully defined. Casu marzu is registered as a traditional product of Sardinia and is therefore protected as a local product.
However, since 1962 it has been deemed illegal by the Italian government due to laws prohibiting the consumption of food contaminated with parasites.
Those who sell the cheese may be fined up to 50,000 euros, but this does not seem to discourage locals, who claim it is a product that keeps an ancient tradition alive.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
