mia-cheese

xfer

I JERK OFF TO ARCTOPUS
Nov 8, 2001
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New York City
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At this point I'm sure Mia and Toby have heard of every weird foodstuff ever, but this one was new to me:

from Wikipedia:

Casu marzu (also called casu modde, casu cundhídu, or in Italian formaggio marcio) is a cheese found in Sardinia, Italy, notable for being riddled with live insect larvae. Casu marzu means "rotten cheese" in Sardinian.
Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider to be decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called "lagrima", from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as transparent, white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not.
 
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Several food safety issues have been raised with casu marzu:
  • Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea.
Because of these health threats, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu cheese cannot be legally sold in Italy. Within Sardinia, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and the cheese is available as a black market item, selling for about three times pecorino's price.
 
Several food safety issues have been raised with casu marzu:
  • Risk of enteric myiasis: intestinal larval infection. Piophila casei larvae can pass through the stomach alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and take up residency for some period of time in the intestines, where they can cause serious lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea.
Because of these health threats, or simply because it is considered a contaminated product, casu marzu cheese cannot be legally sold in Italy. Within Sardinia, enforcement of the ban is sporadic and the cheese is available as a black market item, selling for about three times pecorino's price.


That sounds hot.
 
You know, we could market that cheese as a good way to lose weight because you'll be too disgusted to eat it or it destroys your ability to digest.

Shit like this redefines pica for me. Just because people eat it doesn't mean its food.
 
two new treats a Chinese teacher told me about today:

1. a bowl of live baby rats (pinkies) struggling to escape from honey, which you eat with chopsticks

2. a bowl of boiling broth with floating bamboo shoot pieces in it; you drop a tiny frog in the broth and it immediately struggles onto a bamboo shoot, which you then immediately pick up and eat, getting your meat & vegetable (scalded, almost-dead, writhing frog and bamboo shoot) in one bite.