Whether you want to eat it for its flavour, as an act of bravado or just sheer curiosity is getting the better of you, one thing’s for sure – you won’t find maggot-infested Casu Marzu (‘rotten cheese’) in any shop. It’s been banned by the European Food Safety Authority which means it’s illegal to buy or sell. Despite this, it’s still possible to find on the black market in Sardinia, and you’ll often need to know the right people to get close to what is often referred to as ‘the most dangerous food in the world’.
It’s said that Casu Marzu has been made on Sardinia for thousands of years, which is why the local communities dotted around the island regard it as a vital part of their culinary heritage. The cheese itself is made from sheep’s milk like a standard pecorino, but once it is formed into a solid wheel the top is cut off and it’s left out in the open, with cheese flies (known as Casei or Piophilidae) laying their eggs on the softer paste inside. Once the cheese is thoroughly infested, the lid of the cheese is replaced and it’s left to mature in a dark, cool room for several months. During this time, the eggs hatch and the larvae get to work eating as much cheese as they can. As the cheese passes through their bodies, it takes on its unique pungent flavour and creates a soft, spreadable texture.
Once the larvae have eaten their way through the majority of the cheese, it’s ready to eat. However, it needs to be consumed before the larvae die – if this happens, the cheese has gone bad and needs to be thrown away. That means for anyone wanting to taste the famous flavour of Casu Marzu, they need to be willing to eat it – wriggling maggots and all. It apparently tastes like a very strong Gorgonzola, with plenty of black pepper notes, and the creamy texture is perfect for spreading on one of Sardinia’s many famous breads.