OT WTF?: The Official Maggot Cheese Thread

[Annihilus]

Ok, ok. It's not zombies, but here it is anyway:

Casu marzu

Casu marzu (also called casu modde, casu cundhídu, or in Italian formaggio marcio) is a cheese found in Sardinia, Italy, notable for being riddled with live insect larvae. Casu marzu means "rotten cheese" in Sardinian and is known colloquially as maggot cheese.

Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called lagrima, from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not. A sequence of photos illustrating the curious larval jumping behaviour is illustrated here in a related fly species, the Antler Fly (Protopiophila litigata).


Appearance and taste
Yaroslav Trofimov, in the August 23, 2000 edition of The Wall Street Journal, describes the cheese as "a viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the body". Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter (in a 2002 Bon Appétit article):

He … grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, rinsed it quickly under water to soften it and went to a large glass jar on a side table. He opened the jar, scooped out a mound of what looked like thick cream, and folded the bread around it. …When he was finished I asked what he had eaten, and he got up to show me. Inside the jar was pecorino, busy with small, white worms. I'd heard about this cheese, but this was the first time I'd gotten so close. … A friend of his … said, 'It's formaggio marcio [literally, "rotten cheese"], cheese with worms. It's a delicacy. It's the most beautiful gift you can give a Sardinian shepherd.'

The cheese is typically consumed with Sardinian bread (pane carasau) and Cannonau, a strong red wine.

Dangers
Several food safety issues have been raised with casu marzu:

Anecdotal reports of allergic reactions.
A risk of the decomposition advancing to a toxic state. (Folk wisdom in Sardinia holds that the presence of still-living larvae are an assurance that this has not yet happened.)
Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdoinal pain, and bloody diarrhea.
Because of these health threats, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu cannot be legally sold in Italy. Within Sardinia, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and the cheese is available as a black market item, selling for about three times pecorino's price.

[babalu87]

Yet another item that I will add to my list of shit I have to try before I die.
There is that fruit from SE Asia that smells like rotten flesh but is supposed to be a religious experience when eaten fresh, I forget the name of it.

[Baron Samedi]

I'm so grossed out, I can't even think of anything funny to say........

[O.Z.O.]

Originally posted by Annihilus on 03-29-2007 at 04:43 PM
Ok, ok. It's not zombies, but here it is anyway:

Casu marzu

Casu marzu (also called casu modde, casu cundhídu, or in Italian formaggio marcio) is a cheese found in Sardinia, Italy, notable for being riddled with live insect larvae. Casu marzu means "rotten cheese" in Sardinian and is known colloquially as maggot cheese.

Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called lagrima, from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not. A sequence of photos illustrating the curious larval jumping behaviour is illustrated here in a related fly species, the Antler Fly (Protopiophila litigata).


Appearance and taste
Yaroslav Trofimov, in the August 23, 2000 edition of The Wall Street Journal, describes the cheese as "a viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the body". Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter (in a 2002 Bon Appétit article):

He … grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, rinsed it quickly under water to soften it and went to a large glass jar on a side table. He opened the jar, scooped out a mound of what looked like thick cream, and folded the bread around it. …When he was finished I asked what he had eaten, and he got up to show me. Inside the jar was pecorino, busy with small, white worms. I'd heard about this cheese, but this was the first time I'd gotten so close. … A friend of his … said, 'It's formaggio marcio [literally, "rotten cheese"], cheese with worms. It's a delicacy. It's the most beautiful gift you can give a Sardinian shepherd.'

The cheese is typically consumed with Sardinian bread (pane carasau) and Cannonau, a strong red wine.

Dangers
Several food safety issues have been raised with casu marzu:

Anecdotal reports of allergic reactions.
A risk of the decomposition advancing to a toxic state. (Folk wisdom in Sardinia holds that the presence of still-living larvae are an assurance that this has not yet happened.)
Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdoinal pain, and bloody diarrhea.
Because of these health threats, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu cannot be legally sold in Italy. Within Sardinia, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and the cheese is available as a black market item, selling for about three times pecorino's price.

...dude...

...I put up the neo-classic thread 'what's in Anni's living room'...

...and you respond with this weak shit?

you're slipping

[SenatorChivas]

When I was a guest of the Montagnards in the nether regions of Vietnam they prepared a dish: take one live monkey in a cage with only the top of the head exposed, remove the skull cap exposing the live brain and dig in. It is considered a delicacy served to those they deemed honorable, it is extremely rude to barf as our "tour guide" explained in the pre meal briefing.

[Annihilus]

Originally posted by Peytonsux on 03-29-2007 at 03:53 PM
...dude...

...I put up the neo-classic thread 'what's in Anni's living room'...

...and you respond with this weak shit?

you're slipping

You're just jealous because your thread doesn't have any maggots.

[finfan56]

Originally posted by Annihilus on 03-29-2007 at 04:43 PM
Ok, ok. It's not zombies, but here it is anyway:

Casu marzu

Casu marzu (also called casu modde, casu cundhídu, or in Italian formaggio marcio) is a cheese found in Sardinia, Italy, notable for being riddled with live insect larvae. Casu marzu means "rotten cheese" in Sardinian and is known colloquially as maggot cheese.

Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called lagrima, from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not. A sequence of photos illustrating the curious larval jumping behaviour is illustrated here in a related fly species, the Antler Fly (Protopiophila litigata).


Appearance and taste
Yaroslav Trofimov, in the August 23, 2000 edition of The Wall Street Journal, describes the cheese as "a viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the body". Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter (in a 2002 Bon Appétit article):

He … grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, rinsed it quickly under water to soften it and went to a large glass jar on a side table. He opened the jar, scooped out a mound of what looked like thick cream, and folded the bread around it. …When he was finished I asked what he had eaten, and he got up to show me. Inside the jar was pecorino, busy with small, white worms. I'd heard about this cheese, but this was the first time I'd gotten so close. … A friend of his … said, 'It's formaggio marcio [literally, "rotten cheese"], cheese with worms. It's a delicacy. It's the most beautiful gift you can give a Sardinian shepherd.'

The cheese is typically consumed with Sardinian bread (pane carasau) and Cannonau, a strong red wine.

Dangers
Several food safety issues have been raised with casu marzu:

Anecdotal reports of allergic reactions.
A risk of the decomposition advancing to a toxic state. (Folk wisdom in Sardinia holds that the presence of still-living larvae are an assurance that this has not yet happened.)
Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdoinal pain, and bloody diarrhea.
Because of these health threats, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu cannot be legally sold in Italy. Within Sardinia, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and the cheese is available as a black market item, selling for about three times pecorino's price.

Were you just watching Ripley's Believe It Or Not? My son has been watching it and they just did a segment on that cheese.

[HelenaHandbsket]

Originally posted by babalu87 on 03-29-2007 at 04:46 PM
There is that fruit from SE Asia that smells like rotten flesh but is supposed to be a religious experience when eaten fresh, I forget the name of it.

Durian?

[babalu87]

^
Faces of Death

DURIAN FRUIT!!!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia

I have to taste this stuff, it has an almost cult like following.

[BY1401]

I remember seeing a piece about this cheese on some show at a definite time in the past. I recall thinking: "That's fvcking gross."

[Costanza]

^^^My first thought, besides a gag reflex, was "that's mother ****ing disgusting". We think alike, eh? Although, I am sure 9/10 people felt the same way. I'm gonna barf just typing this post.

Crazy Italian bastards.

[O.Z.O.]

Originally posted by Annihilus on 03-29-2007 at 04:58 PM
You're just jealous because your thread doesn't have any maggots.

[BY1401]

Originally posted by Jh on 03-29-2007 at 04:24 PM
^^^My first thought, besides a gag reflex, was "that's mother ****ing disgusting". We think alike, eh? Although, I am sure 9/10 people felt the same way. I'm gonna barf just typing this post.

Crazy Italian bastards.

We probably think more alike than you know.

Please, for the sake of your loved ones, get help soon. I may be a lost cause, but you've still got time.

[JD10367]

I think I've seen the maggot cheese on a Discovery Channel or Travel Channl show about Italy.

I guess it's no more disgusting than swiss cheese or bread, where the holes are caused by minute living organisms that croak. Or blue or gorgonzola cheese, where you're eating mold. Or yogurt, with it's ambiguous "live cultures".

[Annihilus]

Originally posted by JD10367 on 03-29-2007 at 04:47 PM
I think I've seen the maggot cheese on a Discovery Channel or Travel Channl show about Italy.

I guess it's no more disgusting than swiss cheese or bread, where the holes are caused by minute living organisms that croak. Or blue or gorgonzola cheese, where you're eating mold. Or yogurt, with it's ambiguous "live cultures".

Well, there's a tiny difference. The cheese still has the maggots in it. Alive. Walking around in there. Pooping little maggot poop.