Sometimes we hear about quirky foods produced in other countries which raise eyebrows in Australia. This one’s a doozy.
A special type of cheese produced in Sardinia, Italy, is reported to have a flavour reminiscent of Mediterranean pastures and spice, and an aftertaste that lasts for hours.
Referred to as the world’s most dangerous cheese by the Guinness Book of Records, it’s called ‘Casu Marzu’, and is traditionally eaten while containing live maggots.
Said to be very tasty, there are instructions on how to make this cheese, including leaving it where it can be discovered by Cheese skipper flies, and waiting three months for fly eggs to hatch and for the maggots to digest the fats and protein to reduce the cheese into a soft creamy paste inside an untouched rind.
The instructions continue with “open the top of the cheese, scoop out the creamy goop containing wriggling maggots, and eat”.
The article states that Sardinians believe the cheese is safe to consume while the maggots are alive.
However, the cheese is considered illegal under Italian law due to safety concerns, and cheese sellers face possible fines of €50,000.
Do not try this at home.
