Casu Marzu cheese : one of the most dangerous cheeses in the world
Casu Marzu cheese has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most dangerous cheese in the world.
Casu Marzu cheese is registered as a traditional Sardinian product and is therefore locally protected, however, it has been deemed illegal by the Italian government since 1962 due to controls prohibiting the consumption of foods infected with parasites.
The cheese contains the larvae of the live biophila fly, where the fly lays its eggs in cracks that form in the cheese. After the larvae are born, they make their way inland and digest proteins to convert the product into a soft, liquid cheese. Then some residents circulate the cheese through a specific device to combine the larvae with the cheese, and the cheese acquires the distinctive flavor of “casu marzo” with its strength, as it can last for hours in the mouth.
Some say that this cheese may be dangerous to human health, as the larvae can cause stings and tiny holes in the intestine, and although this cheese is not commercially prohibited, the inhabitants of Sardinia have been eating it for centuries.
Those selling the cheese face hefty fines of up to 50,000 euros (about $ 60,000), but Sardinians mock the ban on their favorite cheese.