Features of Kasu Marzu cheese with grubs

In almost every country there are such dishes that are distinguished by their unusualness. These include cheese and worms.Many would consider the dish unsuitable for food, and would throw it away, but not the Italians. They make such a dish specifically and eat with pleasure.

Cheese Casu Marzu is an Italian delicacy. The homeland of the product is an island called Sardinia. How such a dish appeared, nobody says. There are only some assumptions and guesses.

Perhaps some farmer did not inspect for the cheese and put the product to ripen with live worms. After it was just a pity to throw away your creation, and having tried it, he began to advertise wormy cheese. Some volunteers tasted the product and liked the taste. They said that they had never tried such a tasty and soft cheese made from sheep's milk.

True or not, Sardinian cheese has become a traditional dish on this island. And even now, many tourists are not averse to try cheese, which is called Kas Marz. After some time, this cheese went to the international level. Sanitation specialists from the European Union were against such a dubious product and issued a forbidden verdict.

However, not all people were satisfied with this prohibition and therefore began to organize protests. The Italian authorities were forced to petition for making cheese and worms in the list of traditional dishes of Italy. This trick helped to continue to produce and sell a cheese that does not meet sanitary standards.

In addition, farmers were forced to petition the veterinary faculty at the University of Sassari. As a result, a cheese fly was bred that is considered safe for humans. After several years, almost all farmers switched to the use of reared insects and stopped worrying about their health.

The production of cheese began to take place according to more stringent rules, which could, to some extent, satisfy the sanitary services. However, the Italians insist that the Commission from the European Union conferred the status of DOP on the cheese to Kas Marz. So far, scientists do not agree with such an insane decision and in every way hinder it.

But the experts of the Guinness Book of Records called delicacy the most dangerous of cheeses. It is believed that such cheese can cause vomiting and diarrhea. However, the opinion of the Italians about such an interesting product is different from what is written in the book. Those who have already tried cheese say that there is nothing wrong with this product. If you overcome the aversion, and still try it, the reaction will be positive for an extraordinary cheese. According to official data, there were no cases of poisoning in the entire history of its creation in Italy.

Although many people believe that cheese is literally teeming with cheese fly larvae, in fact it is not. For its preparation it is necessary to make classic Italian cheese Pecorino Sardo (Pecorino Sardo). It is prepared according to the same recipe. However, in a solution of salt, the product is not kept as long as required by the standards.

This time is enough so that no microorganisms develop. At the same time, the salt solution will not have time to become so concentrated as to scare away flies.

In a crust of cooked cheese make a few holes. They add a little olive oil, which not only softens the surface, but also attracts flies. The cheese is transferred to a place where insects can reach it. In this case, the heads are not allowed to turn.

As soon as the cheese is completely infected, the heads are immediately stacked on each other and sent to storage. This is done so that eggs can move throughout the cheese. When the larvae hatch, they will start to eat it.In addition, they produce a product that speeds up the process of fermentation. For this reason, the cheese becomes soft.

When “tears” flow from it, it is believed that the cheese is ready. Such a process can last from three to six months. Ready Kasu Martsu has a greenish tint and does not smell very good. In addition, it contains a large number of cheese fly larvae. Eat this cheese with maggots.

Cheese flies, which take an active role in creating such an interesting product, are not big at all. They can be no more than four millimeters. In addition, they are fast enough and are constantly in places such as smoke plants or any food warehouses.

In the most active period, they can lay up to one hundred and twenty eggs. At the same time, they lay eggs only for fresh produce. Larvae are able to survive even in the most difficult conditions and can develop even in saline solution. According to some experiments, it was found that they can even survive in kerosene.

In fact, only milk is responsible for the benefit. Everyone knows about its effect on the body. It strengthens bones, gives energy and saturates. Everything else can only harm the human body and nothing more.

If we talk about cheese flies, then many food enterprises suffer only losses from such insects. After all, the fly is a peddler, as well as the causative agent of various infectious diseases. Many people working in such enterprises suffer from these insects.

After all, falling on the skin of a person, the larva may even be under the epithelium. As a result, purulent wounds appear, which, in addition to everything else, also do not heal well. Therefore, if the maggots fall into the human stomach, damage can occur to some of its sections. This will only lead to pain, and not to pleasure.

The harm is as follows:

1. skin allergies may occur;
2. possible poisoning by toxins;
3. there may be sharp pains in the abdomen;
4. there is vomiting and diarrhea, accompanied by the release of blood.

Definitely eating such a “delicacy” is not worth such sacrifices. The inhabitants of the island argue that if you eat cheese with live larvae, then everything will be fine. However, this is not all. After all, such insects not only move, crawling, they can also bounce. In this case, the height of such a jump is up to fifteen centimeters. The larvae bounce more from fear. It is better to eat cheese in protective glasses so that the larvae do not fall directly into the eye.

If we talk about the appearance, the cheese with the larvae is very similar to the famous Italian Pecorino cheese. But here the matter is only in appearance, that is, in the form of a cylinder with convex sides. Similar and used ingredients. One head of this cheese can weigh up to four kilograms.

The consistency depends entirely on the number of worms in the composition. Cheese can be quite thick. This means that the larvae in it quite a bit. It may also have a creamy structure. However, true gourmets prefer more seasoned cheeses. They must also be liquid, as well as many larvae, which sometimes reach eight millimeters in size.

As already stated eat delicacy only with live worms. When they are dead, the cheese becomes toxic. Great adherents of this unusual dish compare this dish with macaroni and cheese. The crust in the cheese is not eaten, it is cut and thrown away.

According to tradition, Kasu Marzu must be cut into small pieces and put on only cooked Italian flatbread. Serve this dish is necessary with wine, and fortified. If the cheese is very liquid, then the product can be eaten with a spoon, biting off the bread.

Many do not even choose crawling larvae and eat directly with them. However, there are fastidious people who simply cannot bring themselves to eat a live worm.

To get rid of worms, you just need to wrap the cheese in a fairly dense sheet. This will stop the access of oxygen. The larvae from this jump and break on the walls of the paper. At the same time there is an incredible noise. When it stops, then you can start the meal. However, this must be done very quickly, since dead worms emit a large amount of toxins. This means that after a while the product will just have to be thrown away.

To prevent this from happening, experienced cheese makers choose a clever way. To do this, the cheese head is placed in polyethylene and is quite well tied. When oxygen ceases to flow to the larvae, they leave the head. At this time, they are simply shaken off and the cheese can be eaten without the exotic inhabitants. Toxins do not have time to get into the product and you can eat it without fear for your health.

If we talk about the price of cheese, then it will seem too high to many. So, for one kilogram of such delicacy they ask for two hundred dollars. It is sold in fairly tightly closed containers. Pieces, with very small, two hundred grams.

By the way, for those who want to try the original delicacy, it will not be easy to find the product. In stores Kasu Marzu not sell. It happens to meet him in grocery markets, but that is very rare. Kasu Marz must be ordered in advance from local farmers.

If we talk about the reviews of most people who have tried this delicacy, they are not the best. Neither taste nor smell cause much pleasure. Like the product only to gourmets, and those who are used to trying something unusual.

Cheese Casu Marzu is the property of only the Italian island of Sardinia. As a food product, it does not represent much value for other nations. It can try just out of curiosity, and then not all. After all, its special filling in an unprepared person will only cause disgust, but not pleasure. Lovers of unusual taste Italian cheese with the larvae will appeal.

See how the wormy cheese Kas Marz is made in the next video.