Rotten cheese: a delicacy for intrepid gourmets

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Did you think blue cheese was a "not for everyone" delicacy? Still, we associate mold with something not very pleasant and, of course, not edible. But varieties such as "Dor Blue", "Garganzola" and others have long become familiar in our diet and do not cause any misunderstanding. But the next product, which will be discussed, can really be called a delicacy for the elite. Rotten cheese Casu marzu, made in Sardinia, is listed as the most dangerous food on the planet. And his appearance shocks even by no means the faint of heart. It should be served with a danger warning from the Ministry of He alth, and in the European Union this product is completely banned for production and sale.

The process of preparing a dangerous delicacy

The basis from which rotten cheese is made is completely harmless - it is compressed sheep's milk. Quite a normal and even he althy food product. But what happens to him next? Main production of Casu marzu cheesetakes place outdoors, where it is "brought to readiness" by insects. Flies, called cheese flies, "attack" this cheese in flocks and lay their eggs in it (right under the crust).

This continues until the level of contamination of the product reaches the required level. After that, the cheese is brought into a special storage, where the larvae of those same flies get down to business. They eat and digest cheese. The process of disintegration of fats in it is accelerated, which is why it acquires a soft texture. Now it is a really rotten cheese with a sharp, very pungent smell and the same taste. It is finally ready for use after three months of such a very unusual and even shocking cooking process.

What threatens the use of such a "delicacy"?

There are not many who dare to try this "exotic" dish. Although desperate gourmets still meet. However, they risk not only their psychological state, but also their physical he alth. In the first case, it is the appearance of the cheese that frightens, the larvae in which, disturbed by the use of the product, begin to literally jump out of it (their jumps can reach a distance of as much as 15 centimeters). By the way, in some places where this delicacy is served, they eat it blindfolded so as not to spoil their appetite and enjoy this "yummy" in peace. As for the insecurity of cheese for he alth, this is due to the following. The larvae eaten together with the product can penetrate the intestines, violating its integrity.mucous membranes. As a result, intestinal poisoning occurs, there may be diarrhea and vomiting, as well as more severe consequences. After all, the enzymes secreted by these larvae are far from useful for the human body.

That is why in a number of countries rotten cheese is strictly prohibited - a dangerous delicacy, for many it is simply disgusting. However, this does not stop farmers in northern Italy (Bergamo and Piedmont) and in Sardinia. They carefully store and pass on from generation to generation the recipe for this unusual cheese, they have been preparing it for more than one century. Curious and fearless tourists with pleasure (!) try this shocking "delicacy" for an ordinary person. Well, as they say, "the taste and color"…