spurgeonryan said:
aikohualda said:
casu marzu in italy
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Yup, that is it. Have you had it?
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Wow it sounds delightful.
Casu marzu, literally translating into English as "rotten/putrid cheese", is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese, notable for containing live insect larvae. When disturbed, the larvae can launch themselves for distances up to 15 cm (6 in). Because of European Union food hygiene-health regulations, the cheese was outlawed for a time, and offenders faced heavy fines. Attempts have been made to circumvent the EU ban by having casu marzu declared a "traditional" food. casu marzu or casu frazigu is not listed as a recognized traditional food, therefore, the legal status of casu marzu in the EU remains questionable.
Once ingested, it’s possible for the Piophila casei larvae to pass through the human stomach without dying (sometimes stomach acids aren’t enough to kill them). In that case, the maggots may take up residency in the intestines for some time. They can cause serious lesions and bore through intestinal walls, resulting in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhoea.
Despite the health warnings, people in Sardinia say they’ve been eating Casu Marzu for hundreds of years without any problem.