There's also a tiny chance the maggots (Piophila casei) might actually survive passage through your stomach and accidentally end up in your intestines, causing enteric myiasis (medical speak for FUCKING MAGGOTS PARASITIZING YOUR DAMNED INTESTINES).
On the bright side, they can't actually survive in your intestines on a persistent basis (because these larvae usually eat rotten food and don't usually parasitize hosts). On the not so bright side, you still have (FUCKING) maggots burrowing into your intestinal walls and causing damage and lesions everywhere, so there's that.
I'm willing to try surströmming if someone else opens the can (not indoors though), and hakarl and lutefisk and Milbenkäse too, but casu marzu?
It's illegal to sell it, since there is no way something that contains live maggots can comply to an hygiene legislation, but not to produce or consume it, since it's a traditional food.
There's also a tiny chance the maggots (Piophila casei) might actually survive passage through your stomach and accidentally end up in your intestines, causing enteric myiasis (medical speak for FUCKING MAGGOTS PARASITIZING YOUR DAMNED INTESTINES).
On the bright side, they can't actually survive in your intestines on a persistent basis (because these larvae usually eat rotten food and don't usually parasitize hosts). On the not so bright side, you still have (FUCKING) maggots burrowing into your intestinal walls and causing damage and lesions everywhere, so there's that.
I'm willing to try surströmming if someone else opens the can (not indoors though), and hakarl and lutefisk and Milbenkäse too, but casu marzu?
No, just no. Neanche per tutto l'oro del mondo.
There's a simple way to eat it safely: just chuck it into microwave, 250 degrees celcius for one to two minute. The worms will get baked, leaving a slightly sour, creamy cheese with extra crunch like fried rice grains inside!
It's illegal to sell it, since there is no way something that contains live maggots can comply to an hygiene legislation, but not to produce or consume it, since it's a traditional food.
It's a "tradition" the same way "Weasel Stomping Day" is a tradition.
There are limits. Casu Marzu has not received an exemption, probably because of the health risks associated with not just its preparation-it is entirely maggot feces at the point at which it is considered "ready" to eat), but because the maggots can actually cause pseudomyiasis- stomach acid does not necessarily kill them, which can cause problems when they reach your intestines. There are other mite/maggot cheeses which do have an exemption and can be produced and consumed legally, but Casu Marzu is produced and sold entirely on the black market.
There are limits. Casu Marzu has not received an exemption, probably because of the health risks associated with not just its preparation-it is entirely maggot feces at the point at which it is considered "ready" to eat), but because the maggots can actually cause pseudomyiasis- stomach acid does not necessarily kill them, which can cause problems when they reach your intestines. There are other mite/maggot cheeses which do have an exemption and can be produced and consumed legally, but Casu Marzu is produced and sold entirely on the black market.
The "exemption" the Casu Marzu did not receive yet is for it's commerce. The casu marzu can be produced, but not sold. Casu Marzu is included in the database of traditional Italian agro-food products of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, and it's protected by the Sardinia Region.
I'm from Spain and I haven't seen any cheese with maggots in my entire life
Let's just say... that you should use the cheese for cooking rather than eat it raw. Though I am sure someone is going to tell you they taste best when everything is still jumping around.
I don't mind eating maggots that are specifically grown for food production, but I really prefer if they are dead before they enter my mouth.
Italy has casu marzu too! Buon appetito!
Literally "rotten cheese" in Sardinian.