Casu Marzu (maggot cheese)
Casu marzu, translated literally as “rotten/putrid cheese”, is a Sardinian speciality made from sheep milk cheese. It contains live insect larvae (maggots), which are introduced to the cheese in order to promote an advanced level of fermentation to break down of the cheese’s fats. This allows the cheese to mature beyond typical fermentation to a stage of decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly Piophila casei. The result is a softening of the cheese, with some liquid known to seep out…
