‘Larva-ly’ casu marzu: The most dangerous cheese in the world

Casu marzu holds the notorious reputation for being the most dangerous cheese in the world. It has held its coveted Guinness World Records title since 2009, and is considered a highly sought-after delicacy by locals in Sardinia, Italy, and die-hard cheese aficionados around the world.

But what makes it so special, you ask? Well, its unique ingredients are sheep’s milk… and maggots. Yep, you heard right. Casu marzu is a type of cheese that has live maggots crawling within it.

To make things even more cringey or curious, depending on how you look at it, this freaky fromage presents a series of potentially fatal consequences when eaten. It also breaks every rule in the book when it comes to food hygiene and health regulations. No wonder it has been deemed illegal by the Italian authorities since 1962.

How casu marzu is made

It’s a surprisingly painstaking process to make casu marzu and if you’ve got a weak stomach, stop reading now.

The process kicks off when pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) reaches a stage of decomposition. Holes are then cut into it to allow flies to burrow deep inside to nest and lay their larvae. The digestive process of the larvae is what gives casu marzu its soft, gooey texture, making it perfect for spreading, along with scores of wriggling maggots.

Apparently a good casu marzu should have just over 1,000 larvae and take roughly three months to make.

If you’re wondering why the maggots aren’t completely removed, well, that’s not the way casu marzu is supposed to be eaten. According to the Sardinians. it’s got to go straight into the gob as is.

What casu marzu tastes like

Casu marzu is said to have a slightly spicy taste with a sticky texture and a strong aftertaste. It is best enjoyed smeared over traditional Sardinian flatbread or pane carasau.

The famous British chef Gordon Ramsay has also tried casu marzu. Here’s how the sharp-tongued British chef reacted to tasting most dangerous cheese in the world:

Why casu marzu is the world’s most dangerous cheese

If you consume the larvae live when eating casu marzu, you need to make sure you chew them well. The trick is not to let them into your stomach alive or they could potentially make a home for themselves in your intestine, which could lead to death. But that’s not even the worst part.

When eating the most dangerous cheese in the world, you also need to shield your eyes, since it’s not uncommon for the maggots to try and launch themselves onto your face and into your hair. They’ve been recorded to jump up to 15cm.

As CNN reports, casu marzu is registered as a traditional product of Sardinia and is protected despite going against the national laws that prohibit the consumption of food infected by parasites. The sale of the cheese can result in fines of up to €50,000 (R876,000), but even that doesn’t seem to deter the Sardinians from making and eating their beloved cheese.

Unique fermentation process

Despite its unique fermentation process, casu marzu is an important product of Sardinia. That is because it is integral to the history of the island and a product many local farmers depend on for an income. Like most delicacies, it was originally eaten by poorer families who had to make do with whatever was available to them on the island, including cheese that had gone off.  

And while casu marzu has certainly earned its hype, it’s also a reminder that many cultures consider insects a perfectly good ingredient. Often, our disgust comes down to our own psychological barriers.

If you’d like to step out of your comfort zone and sample this forbidden cheese, you’ll need to get to Sardinia and ask the locals to fix you up.

Interested in more unique foodie stories from Italy? Here’s a trippy one from the tiny volcanic island of Alicudi.