Cheese with worms casu marzu. Cheese with cheese fly larvae

Kasu marzu

Casu marzu(some other names - casu modde, casu cundhidu, Italian formaggio marcio) is a type of cheese produced in Sardinia, best known for containing live insect larvae. Translated from Sardinian casu marzu means "rotten cheese", the expression "wormy cheese" is also used colloquially.

Casu Marzu is made from a different type of cheese, the Sardinian pecorino. To do this, it is kept longer than the usual stage of fermentation, bringing it to a state of decay caused by the digestive activity of cheese fly larvae. Worms accelerate the process of decomposition and breakdown of the fats contained in the cheese, due to which the product becomes soft. it also exudes a liquid called lagrima (the name comes from the Sardinian word for tears).

The larvae are small (8 mm) worms. When disturbed, they are able to jump up to 15 centimeters. For this reason, those wishing to taste kasa marzu are advised to protect their eyes while eating. Some prefer to remove the larvae before eating, while others eat the cheese along with them.

Taste

As a rule, cheese is consumed with Sardinian bread ( pane carasau) And Cannonau, strong red wine.

Danger of use

Cheese consumption casu marzu carries a number of dangers:

• Risk of allergic reactions
• Risk of decomposition to a toxic state (according to Sardinian folk wisdom, the presence of live larvae indicates that this has not happened yet).
• Risk of intestinal infection with larvae. Cheese fly larvae may not be digested in the stomach (gastric juice does not always kill them) and settle in the intestines for a while. When the larvae try to drill through the intestinal wall, serious complications occur, feeling sick, vomiting, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea (see Myases).

Due to the health hazards, and also because "rotten cheese" is considered a contaminated product, its sale in Italy is officially prohibited. On the territory of Sardinia, this ban is often violated, and the cheese is sold illegally. But in 2010, casu marzu was recognized as a cultural property of Sardinia and allowed again. Its cost is three times the price of pecorino cheese.

Other regional names

In addition to the most common name "Casu marzu", there are a number of other regional names:

• Marcetto or case fracheche- in Abruzzo
• Salterello- in Friuli
• Ribiòla cui beg- in Lombardy
• furmai nis- in Emilia-Romagna

In Piedmont, in particular in the Alpes-Maritimes, on the border with France, the fermentation procedure is not always the same as that of Casu Marzu cheese. The cheese is left out in the open, giving the cheese fly a chance to lay its eggs. After that, it comes to the condition in white wine, grapes and honey, thus preventing the larvae from hatching. This gives the product a strong flavor.

see also

• Milbenkäse, a cheese made in Würchwitz (Germany), whose fermentation process takes place with the help of cheese mites.
• Mimolet, another cheese (Lille, France) made with cheese pliers

Links

• Berenbaum, May R. Ninety-Nine More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers. - University of Illinois Press, 1993. - ISBN ISBN 0-252-06322-8
• Robin M. Overstreet (2003). Presidential Address: Flavor Buds and Other Delights. The Journal of Parasitology 89(6) : 1093-1107.
• Loomis, Susan Herrmann (2002). Sardinia, Italy Epicurious.com adaptation of a Bon Appetit article. Retrieved July 31, 2006.
• Lieutenant Brian F. Prendergast, USN (2001). Filth Flies: Significance, Surveillance and Control in Contingency Operations (.pdf format) . Retrieved October 1, 2005.

Yesterday we considered with you CHEESE, and here is another interesting traditional cheese for you.

It is amazing how different eating habits can be among different peoples - the Chinese eat live boiled cats and rats, and the Italians - Casu Marzu cheese - one of the most unusual and disgusting delicacies in the world. His homeland is on the Italian island of Sardinia, and the name "casu marzu" is translated from Sardinian as "rotten cheese".

And not without reason - not everyone dares to taste cheese with rotten inside, and even with larvae swarming inside! These larvae are hatched in the cheese on purpose, by longer aging and deliberately bringing to the state of rotting cheese of another variety - Pecorino Sardo.

Someone eats the cheese along with the larvae, someone extracts them, but sophisticated tasters say that the taste of this cheese is incomparable. Let's find out more…

Kazu Marzu It is one of the most beloved Sardinian cheeses. Rotten, because the incredible aroma and strength of this cheese is given by cheese flies, the larvae of which live in the cheese.

Cheese, like bread, has been the main food of shepherds since ancient times. Cheese was not produced for sale, it was made for themselves and their families, and they sold only what was left. Each shepherd named his cheese “my cheese” (casu meu) and could recognize it from thousands of other cheeses not only by taste, but also by appearance. Cheese for shepherds has always been a symbol of independence and autonomy, personifying health, strength and reliability. Because there was cheese, there was food!

For the production of cheese, the shepherd carried out a huge amount of work. It all started with the milking of sheep, and ended with the transportation of cheese from the sheepfold to the city house. Cheese aging often depended on the journey of a shepherd with his sheep. Cheese Kazu Marzu was born precisely due to the fact that fly larvae appeared in already overripe sheep's cheese. The cheese was brought to the stage of rotting, and the larvae only accelerated the process.

In Sardinia, it is called "wormy" cheese. It is made from Pecorino cheese. However, the maturation process goes beyond typical production. Cheese "Kasu Marzu" is formed as a result of decomposition. Special larvae - popiophiles (Piophila casei) digest the fats that make up the cheese. As a result of the digestive activity of the larvae, the Casu Marzu cheese is obtained. During production, the cheese becomes soft and releases a small amount of liquid (in Sardinia it is called cheese tears).

Kasu Marzu cheese is made from sheep's milk. The larvae move quite briskly in the cheese head and feel at home. Sometimes they can jump up to 15 centimeters, so it is recommended to protect your eyes while eating. But when the larvae die in the cheese, it is considered toxic. There is a special technology for cleaning cheese from larvae, which, if they enter the human body, may cause undesirable consequences. This is an intestinal infection, nausea, vomiting, sharp pains in the abdomen.

There is a special technology for cleaning cheese from larvae, which, if they enter the human body, may cause undesirable consequences. This is an intestinal infection, nausea, vomiting, sharp pains in the abdomen.

To get the strongest taste of the cheese, it is cut into thin strips and spread on Sardinian cakes “Carasau” (pane carasau) moistened with water. The perfect accompaniment to cheese is strong red wine.

Currently, this cheese is banned from sale by the European Union, because, according to scientists, it can cause various diseases, such as allergies and poisoning. But Sardinia is doing its best to protect its cheese by giving it a qualification DOP (Denominazione di origine protetta) and adding it to the list of traditional products of the region.

Producers of Casu Marzu cheese are constantly facing huge fines. However, it is sold on the "black market" and is quite popular. After all, farmers in Sardinia, as well as in Piedmont and Bergamo in northern Italy, remember the secrets of preparing this delicacy. In secret, they will fulfill an exotic order for the fearless "maggot eater".

In Germany, an analogue of Casu Marzu cheese is produced - Milbenkese cheese, in France - Mimolet cheese. Both types of cheese are made using cheese mites.

You will not find such cheese in stores, it can be ordered from local producers and sellers, so we were surprised when one day we saw a sign “casu marzu” on the market. Needless to say, I immediately bought a piece, because we had been hunting for this cheese for several months. It is believed that the best season for the production of cheese are the spring and summer months, and we got just the best June cheese!!!

And here is what those who have tried this cheese write. Listening to Oksana:

I confess honestly Casu Marzu was my biggest disappointment in Sardinia. I have tried almost all traditional foods: trippa (stomach walls), pig's head in a box, raw sea urchins, snails, raw oysters, bottarga, and only casu marzu seemed completely tasteless to me. I just love cheese, but the taste of this bitter and wormy cheese did not touch me at all. Not so tasty, this cheese to eat worms - said my Sardinian friend.

When we bought the cheese, it was packed in a giant and tightly sealed container to keep the larvae from escaping. Many sards eat cheese right with the worms, while others are squeamish. In order to get rid of the worms, the cheese is tied in a plastic bag; the larvae leave the cheese due to lack of air. How do you like it better with or without worms?

I understand that everyone has completely different taste preferences, so I still recommend you try the traditional Casu Marzu cheese. If you are not going to Sardinia, but you are going to other regions of Italy, you can search for:
Marcetto or caçe fraçeche - in Abruzzo
Salterello - in Friuli
Ribiòla cui bèg - in Lombardy
Furmai nis - in Emilia Romagna

A more sparing version of a similar product is in the opposite part of Italy. In the Alpine Piedmont, cheese is also exposed to the sun, flies lay eggs, but white wine, grapes and honey are immediately added to the cheese, as a result, the larvae do not have time to hatch, but cheese is also considered an expensive delicacy.

french cheese fleeting made in the vicinity of Lille (and also in Belgium). It was first created by order of Louis XIV. In France it is called boule de Lille, in Belgium and the Netherlands - Vieux Hollande. A small tick and nematode worms are placed on the surface of cow's milk cheese.

And in Germany, cheese is made according to a similar procedure, its name is: milbenkase or spinnenkase. It is produced only in one region of Saxony, it has been known since the Middle Ages, but literally a few people know all the intricacies of making this cheese. In honor of the “revival” of this cheese, a monument was even erected.

Let's not forget about other parts of the world. Residents of Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America (in part) also include insect larvae in their diet.

You can try mealworm spaghetti. Flour worms are the larval form of a large flour beetle or dark beetle. They themselves like to eat cereals, but at the same time they themselves are also food. In Europe, they are bred and used as food for birds, lizards, turtles, and aquarium fish. But in other countries you can order to your table. If you want. In Mexico, the dish is prepared as follows - spaghetti itself with spices, cheese and almonds, and fried larvae on top.

In Thailand, they are willingly eaten as snacks. fried bamboo worms. In Indonesia you can order sago larva barbecue. The sago palm is felled, the larvae are collected. They say juicy is a dish like bacon. At the same time, a couple of larvae are left for hygiene procedures - they are applied to the ear, the larva eats away what is superfluous, cleaning the auricle.

Wasp larvae- Food in Japan. Is called a dish hachi-no-ko. Roasted silkworm- delicacy of eastern China. Fried ant eggs is a Colombian dish. They wait for the rains, choose a fatter female with eggs inside, wrap it in leaves and put it in a hole next to the fire. Fast, delicious, just a hassle to assemble.

There is a shrub in South Africa mopane. Everything goes into action there. The plant itself - for firewood, the bark - for ropes, the leaves - for medicines, twigs become toothbrushes, high-quality wood - for the manufacture of wind musical instruments. But the butterfly caterpillar from the Peacock-eye family, eating mopane leaves, is a traditional food for the inhabitants of Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and other countries. And dried, and fried, and boiled soup. In fact, the collection of these caterpillars is such an important part of the national income of these countries that scientists fear that these caterpillars will soon disappear from the face of the earth.

One way or another, insects and larvae can be tasted in different parts of the world. Many have tried fried beetles, locusts (Thailand), grasshoppers, hornets in honey (China), perhaps someone has tried dishes from larvae.

Despite the high-protein value of these exotic dishes, it is still thought that our usual favorite traditional dishes will be on our tables for more than one thousand years.

It is believed that the most unusual and strange dishes are prepared only in exotic countries. But it's not. For example, in Italy blue cheese is considered a delicacy. However, compared to other dairy products, it will seem like just flowers. A more disgusting product is cheese with worms. No, he's not corrupted. It is specially prepared and eaten with great pleasure.

Usually people, without hesitation, throw rotten food into the trash can, and even more so with live "stuffing". And this one is used voluntarily, and even money is paid for it. However, the Ministry of Health warns against eating such a specific delicacy. But first things first.

Let's delve into history

The delicacy itself with larvae is called casu marzu. The birthplace of cheese is the island of Sardinia, which is part of Italy. Apparently, in this country there is a special love for sour-milk delicacies. Who originally came up with this unusual dish, history is silent. It can only be assumed that once a farmer accidentally left a head of cheese infected with fly larvae to ripen. Then he was sorry to throw away an expensive product, he tried it and advertised it. Be that as it may, wormy cheese has become a traditional dish of Sardinia, which is not averse to eating locals and even tourists.

For the production of this delicacy, farmers performed many works. It all started with the milking of sheep and ended with the transportation of the finished product. Often the exposure depended on the time the shepherd was on the field, because they made a delicacy outside their home. It is noteworthy that cheese with cheese fly larvae was made exclusively for their family. It was rarely taken for sale, and then, if something remains. Each farmer called his product “my cheese” and could recognize it among other heads not only by taste, but also by appearance. This was due to the fact that each family had a special recipe for cooking.

Cooking technology

Today, wormy food is made on the basis of the Sardinian variety, which is brewed from the semi-finished product, cut and exposed to fresh air, where flies instantly flock to it to lay several thousand eggs. This is what farmers want. When the future cheese with worms is sufficiently infected, it is put on a shelf in storage.

After hatching, the larvae feed on the still unprepared delicacy and produce waste products that accelerate fermentation - the decomposition of fats. Due to the accelerated disintegration in texture, the cheese becomes very soft, and a liquid begins to flow out of it, which the locals conventionally call tears. Readiness is determined by eye - according to the degree of activity of the worms and their number. There can be several thousand of them in one head!

In terms of time, the entire process takes an average of three months. The finished product is really rotten, with a pronounced smell and a greenish-brown tint. It turns out that casu marzu is a cheese with live larvae that do not stop crawling while eating. This is why the strange Sardinian delicacy is popular. It looks a bit like a cheese made in Piedmont. Only the head, after laying eggs, is soaked in a mixture of white wine, grape juice and honey. This is done in order to prevent the larvae from hatching.

A little about cheese flies

These flies are very tiny, on average their narrow body reaches four millimeters. Being agile, they usually live near fisheries, smokehouses, food warehouses and cheese factories. During the mating season, these flies lay 40 to 120 eggs. And they do it for fresh, smoked or salty food: ham, lard, cheese, caviar, fish and other products that will attract them. But people do not hide kasu marzu from them at all.

The laid eggs develop perfectly in the heat, and the hatched larvae are incredibly viable. So, they can easily exist in a strong salt solution and up to thirty hours in kerosene. It is not surprising that these tenacious insects are distributed throughout the world.

If the worms penetrate the digestive tract, then this can result in the destruction of individual sections of the mucous membrane, pain in the pit of the stomach and typhoid-like diseases. As you can see, cheese with cheese fly larvae can result in health problems. Everywhere people exterminate these insects by various means, but not in Sardinia.

Consequences of eating cheese

People, eating a Sardinian delicacy, expose themselves to great danger. What can such experiments lead to?

• Allergic reactions.
• Toxic poisoning.
• Stomach ache.
• Vomit.
• Diarrhea with blood.
• Infection of the intestine, which ends with damage to internal organs.

It is difficult to disagree here that such consequences are too high a price for a piece of delicacy. However, the locals themselves claim that when eating cheese, the larvae must be alive, then everything will be fine.

Have you changed your mind about eating? Then cover your eyes, not your nose!

Sardinian cheese with worms is considered to be the most dangerous in the world. But poisoning is not all the larvae can do. The fact is that they move not only by crawling, but also by jumping. And they can jump up to 15 centimeters in height. That is, right in the face of an extreme eater. Often worms do this out of fear, and not out of a desire to harm on purpose. Be that as it may, to avoid damage to the eyeball, it is recommended to cover the eyelids or wear special goggles.

The taste of unusual cheese

In fact, it is very difficult to describe what kasu marzu tastes like. Some note a very delicate, viscous, creamy texture, the second highlight spicy, bitter notes, for others, the delicacy is too spicy and burning, like a fire in the mouth. Fans of unusual food claim that the wormy dish tastes like the most ordinary macaroni and cheese. Some Sardinian residents honestly say that this delicacy is not so tasty to taste and eat worms. But they don’t argue about tastes, because everyone has their own food preferences.

To you with larvae or without?

Many residents of Sardinia eat cheese directly with the larvae, but there are always squeamish people. Therefore, there are several ways to eat a wormy delicacy. Courageous eaters put on special goggles, cover their eyes with their hands, or simply do not lean low to the table at all.

To get rid of the live filling, a piece is wrapped in a dense sheet, depriving the worms of oxygen. They begin to jump and break against the paper walls with a characteristic crack. When everything calms down, the larvae are considered dead, and then the meal begins. However, cheese with worms that have died should not be consumed as they become toxic.

It is simply impossible to remove a thousand larvae. Therefore, cheese makers act more cunningly. They place the head in a plastic bag and tie it tightly. From a lack of oxygen, the worms leave their home, it remains only to shake off the extra inhabitants.

Features of eating a dish

The crust of cheese is not eaten, it is customary to eat only its inner soft part. The delicacy is divided into small pieces or cut off the top. Cheese pulp with larvae is taken out with a spoon or fork. Some Sardinians prefer to do it with traditional local flatbreads. Cheese is spread on one piece of bread, and the other is covered so that the worms do not jump out into the eyes. Such an unusual dinner is necessarily accompanied by a glass of strong red wine (cannonau), which the residents also prepare on their own.

Casu marzu cheese: price and points of sale

The cost of the delicacy is quite high - two hundred dollars per kilogram. Worm cheese is usually sold in tightly closed containers in small pieces of two hundred grams. However, this does not greatly smooth the situation. After all, tasting a delicacy costs about two thousand rubles!

You still have to try to find cheese with larvae. Previously, it was officially banned for sale, but since 2010, the dish has nevertheless received the title of cultural heritage. The delicacy is not sold in stores, it can be found on the market or ordered from local cheese makers.

If you have unusual taste preferences and someday will be in Sardinia, then grab a piece of bread and go in search of casu marzu. Just remember the dangers of this delicacy and think carefully about the consequences.

When you travel to Italy, plan to use the excellent cuisine by finding the best ice cream, pizza and wine.
However, you obviously don't know, because the most delicious delicacy is indeed casu marzu, a very specific type of cheese. Just cheese with maggots.

Homeland Casu marzu - the Italian island of Sardinia, located in the Mediterranean Sea. The cheese is made from sheep's milk. Casu marzu takes some time to make, like any cheese, but the process is simple. When finished, the casu marzu cheese should contain about a thousand larvae.

Preparation are as follows:

First, sheep's milk is heated. Then about three weeks are given so that it can turn sour.

Then the top is removed so that the flies can fly in and lay their eggs.

After that, the cheese is left in a dark room for two or three months. At this time, the eggs hatch into larvae and immediately begin to eat rotting cheese.

The excretions that pass through their bodies are essential as they give the cheese a great soft texture and rich flavor.

And (as the Italians say) Presto! You have your casu marzu. The best comparison that can be made is the taste of very ripe gorgonzola cheese. Although what you are actually tasting is maggot excretions.

Now, if this fancy treat is ready, and if you think you should definitely try it, there are some but...
First of all, you can get this cheese only on the black market, because its use is officially prohibited.
If you got it, here are some tips on how to use it correctly:

It is important to note whether the larvae are alive or not. Dead maggots are usually a sign that the cheese has gone bad. Thus, casu marzu is consumed while the larvae are still alive.


When you eat cheese, everyone should close their eyes. This does not mean not to look at the larvae when you eat them, but to protect your eyes from them. The larvae jump up, sometimes reaching six inches.

The next tip is to properly chew and kill the larvae before swallowing. Otherwise, they can live in the body and make holes in the intestines.

The next step is an easy way to improve the taste. It is recommended to use casu marzu with moistened bread. It also pairs well with a glass of strong red wine.
That's all, but you must remember that casu marzu cheese is unhealthy and illegal,
The inhabitants of Sardinia claim that cheese is an aphrodisiac, they use it at weddings and parties. And yes, they believe that the more larvae, the better the quality of the cheese.

Dairy products are the foundation of a balanced diet for every inhabitant of the Earth. Cheese is especially popular among the "milk". Knowing this, cunning cheese makers not only produce a great variety of varieties, but also experiment with the recipe, sometimes even going beyond human understanding.

Your attention is invited to the TOP of the most unusual, expensive and inexorably smelly cheeses in the world!

The most expensive cheeses

Moosehouse

Swiss Moose House cheese is one of the most precious and therefore the most expensive cheeses, since it requires moose milk to create it. Not only is the female elk the main character in the process of making cheese, but the milking of the animal takes place at a strictly defined time and lasts at least three hours! Such an amazing approach to business is paid accordingly: one kilogram of moose cheese costs about one thousand dollars.

Pule

Unlike their Swiss counterparts, Serbian cheese makers prefer to milk their donkeys. Pule cheese, produced in the village of Zasavica, requires more than just donkey milk: to make one kilogram of the delicacy, about twenty-five liters of milk from special Balkan donkeys is required. The price of the finished product bites no less strongly than an animal irritated by milking - over three thousand dollars per kilogram.

ClawsonStiltonGold

British producers of elite cheese, it would seem, are not exercising in the extraction of sophisticated raw materials. However, they have something to surprise wealthy gourmets: the composition of the traditional white cheese Clawson Stilton Gold includes edible 24-carat gold flakes! In the same category is a cheese called Long Clawson Dairy, which is especially popular at American pop star parties and Persian sheiks' gala events. The cost of such a delicacy is from $ 900 per kilogram.

CasuMarzu

Cheese with worms Casu Marzu is the most expensive of all the unbearably disgusting cheeses in the whole world. The reason for such an honorary status lies in the extremely original composition of the product. For the manufacture of cheese, not only trivial milk is used, but also the larvae of cheese flies! The long fermentation period of this cheese allows insects to boldly lay larvae, which later turn into disgusting white worms swarming in rot. Oh, yes… Nevertheless, these worms supposedly give the cheese an exquisite smell and taste, so appreciated by extreme gourmets. Some of them do not disdain to eat Casu Marzu along with its, so to speak, indigenous people ... The popularity of this rotten cheese with fly larvae turned out to be so high that the Italian authorities were seriously worried about the well-being of citizens and banned the production of Casu Marzu for some time. However, in some secluded corners of Sardinia, it can still be purchased at a price of $ 200 per kilogram.

JesusAnsolaJuaristi

Finally, the most expensive cheese of all time was recognized as sheep cheese, produced at the Spanish factory Jesus Ansola Juaristi. One kilogram of this delicacy costs about 13 thousand euros!

The most smelly cheeses

The most smelly cheese is the French Epoisse. It has probably the nastiest fragrance of all the products in this category. And this is not surprising, because unpasteurized cow's milk, as well as apple moonshine, is used for its production! The spirit of "Epoisse" is so strong that the French authorities even imposed a ban on the transportation of this cheese in public transport. It's funny that after the expiration date, "Epuassa" begins to emit a sharp ammonia stink.

Like Epoisse, the famous Camembert soft cheese is made from raw cow's milk, which gives the product a characteristic smell of unwashed feet. Nevertheless, Camembert is one of the gastronomic symbols of France and a world famous brand.

German cheese Limburger is perhaps the most famous "flavoured" cheese fermented with brevibacteria. To get a little idea of ​​the spirit of this delicacy, you can find the dirtiest and most sweaty T-shirt in the laundry basket and inhale its thick smell from the heart ... However, many Limburger lovers immediately forget such distinctive features, as soon as they put a piece of this delicious cheese into their mouths.

"Smelly Bishop" - the name of this ancient variety of cheese speaks for itself. Oddly enough, "Bishop" is brewed from pasteurized milk from Gloucester cows, which cannot be the source of the "appetizing" smell. What then makes cheese so stinky? Features of national English cheese making! Bishop's fermentation period is approximately two months, during which the cheese is soaked twice in pear cider. After these manipulations, the product not only acquires stickiness and an orange tint, but also a pungent stench. However, when the cheese crust is removed, the amber disappears, and the cheese becomes completely ready to eat.

Pont-l'Eveque

The smell of the French Pont-l'Eveque cheese is comparable only to the most inhuman development in the field of chemical weapons. If a person wants to try this cheese monster for the first time in his life, most likely he will have to wear a gas mask with progressive air filtration. However, it is enough to peel off the Pont l'Eveque and throw it into the deepest trash can, and you can enjoy this soft cheese with nutty and fruity undertones.

If you have the opportunity to try at least one of the above cheeses, be sure - you live your life not in vain!