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Glam Journal

What is Sardinian cheese?

Author

James Austin

Updated on March 29, 2026

What is Sardinian cheese?

Casu martzu (Sardinian pronunciation: [ˈkazu ˈmaɾtsu]; literally ‘rotten/putrid cheese’), sometimes spelled casu marzu, and also called casu modde, casu cundídu and casu fràzigu in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae (maggots).

What kind of cheese is casu marzu?

The cheese is made from sheep’s milk. Casu marzu takes some time to make (What kind of quality cheese doesn’t?), but the process itself is easy. When it’s finished, a casu marzu cheese should roughly contain thousands of maggots.

What is the most dangerous cheese to eat?

Casu Marzu
Casu Marzu, which means rotten cheese is the world’s most dangerous cheese which is infested with maggots. This cheese is usually made in Sardinia, Italy by some traditional households and the selling of this cheese has been banned.

Why is casu marzu cheese dangerous?

Casu marzu holds the Guinness World Record for “most dangerous cheese,” because it’s crawling with maggots that could eat away at your intestines. As the maggots that hatch from these eggs move through the cheese, which is usually a firm pecorino, they break down the proteins into a creamy spread.

Is it safe to eat casu marzu?

“Casu marzu” translates to maggot cheese or rotten cheese. It’s said that the cheese is safe to eat as long as the maggots are still living. It’s also possible to eat maggots by mistake since they’re often found around food, though usually they’re found around contaminated food that you’d avoid.

Can casu marzu kill you?

The tropical fruit is rich in Vitamin A, zinc, and protein, but if picked before its ripe or improperly prepared, it can be deadly. The soft, spongy fruit contains hypoglycin alkaloid toxins, which can cause seizures, vomiting, comas, and even death.

Why is Brie banned in the US?

In fact, some of the most popular cheeses in the world, such as brie are banned in the US. The reason for this is the strict FDA regulations on imported edible products. The FDA bans French cheeses like Roquefort because E. coli bacteria is present, even though it is harmless version.

What’s the stinkiest cheese?

Epoisse de Bourgogne
If you’ve read anything about stinky cheese, you may know that a particular French cheese from Burgundy, Epoisse de Bourgogne, usually gets top marks for being the smelliest cheese in the world. Aged for six weeks in brine and brandy, it’s so pungent that it’s banned on French public transport.

Why is there maggots in my poop?

Intestinal myiasis is usually an accidental phenomenon. It occurs due to ingestion of contaminated food or water containing fly larvae or eggs. Usually the patient is asymptomatic and the larvae are excreted harmlessly in feces. In some cases, however, the passage of larvae may be associated with symptoms.

Where does the cheese casu marzu come from?

Casu marzu. Casu marzu literally means ‘rotten cheese’ and is made exclusively in the Sardinia Island. The cheese contains live maggots and is a part of the Sardinian food heritage.

Why does casu marzu have maggots in it?

In English, casu marzu means rotten cheese, referring to live insect larvae (maggots) which can be found in it. After the fermentation process, larvae are introduced to the cheese, promoting decomposition and breaking down the cheese’s fats. As a result, the texture of this notorious cheese becomes very soft.

What’s the best way to eat casu marzu?

As a result, the texture of this notorious cheese becomes very soft. Casu marzu is typically cut into thin strips and spread on pane carasau, and it is recommended to pair it with a glass of strong red wine, but only if you find the cheese on the black market as it is illegal in the EU.

Is it illegal to buy casu marzu in Sardinia?

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’.

Casu marzu. Casu marzu literally means ‘rotten cheese’ and is made exclusively in the Sardinia Island. The cheese contains live maggots and is a part of the Sardinian food heritage.

What’s the best way to make casu marzu?

There’s no standard for making casu marzu. Every town has its own conventions: some use sheep’s milk, others cow, and others still a mix; some rub their cheese with olive oil and others brine it to make it easier for maggots to work through the rind; some drill holes in the rind and others cut the whole top off.

When you come face to face with a round it’s not hard to see why. A Sardinian specialty made by allowing cheese skipper flies to lay thousands of eggs in a wheel of pecorino, casu marzu is served with a host of tiny yet visible larvae alive and writhing in it. (Dead maggots are a sign that the cheese has gone bad.)

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’.