Editing Casu martzu

{{Short description|Traditional Sardinian cheese}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name = {{native name|sc|Casu martzu}}<br><small>{{native name|co|Casgiu merzu}}<br></small>{{small|Rotten cheese}}
| image = Casu Marzu cheese.jpg
| othernames = 
| country = {{plainlist|
*[[Italy]]
*[[France]]}}
| region ={{plainlist|
*[[Sardinia]]
*[[Corsica]]}} 
| town = 
| source = [[Sheep]]
| pasteurised = No
| texture = Soft
| fat = 
| protein = 
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| aging = 3 months
| certification = None
}}

'''{{lang|sc|Casu martzu}}'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ditzionariu.nor-web.eu/en/faeddu/casu|title=Casu, Ditzionàriu in línia de sa limba e de sa cultura sarda|publisher=Regione Autònoma de Sardigna|quote=c. martzu = casu fatu, fatitadu, fatitu, giampagadu, cunnitu.}}</ref> ({{IPA|sc|ˈkazu ˈmaɾtsu|lang}}; {{lit|rotten/putrid cheese}}), sometimes spelled ''casu marzu'', and also called ''casu modde'', ''casu cundídu'' and ''casu fràzigu'' in [[Sardinian language|Sardinian]], is a traditional [[Cuisine of Sardinia|Sardinian]] [[sheep milk cheese]] that contains live insect [[larva]]e ([[maggot]]s).

Derived from [[pecorino]], ''casu martzu'' goes beyond typical [[Fermentation in food processing|fermentation]] to a stage of [[decomposition]], brought about by the [[digestion|digestive]] action of the [[larva]]e of the [[cheese fly]] of the [[Piophilidae]] family. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down of the cheese's [[butterfat|fats]]. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called ''làgrima'', Sardinian for "teardrop") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, roughly {{cvt|8|mm|frac=16}} long.<ref name="fly">{{cite book|last=Berenbaum|first=May R|title=Ninety-Nine More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=1993|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ninetyninemorema00bere/page/10 10–14]|isbn=0-252-06322-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ninetyninemorema00bere/page/10}}</ref>

When consumed, the larvae can possibly survive in the [[Gastrointestinal tract|intestine]], causing [[Gastrointestinal tract|enteric]] [[pseudomyiasis]];<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Peckenscneider |first1=L.E. |last2=Polorny |first2=C. |last3=Hellwig |first3=C.A. |date=May 17, 1952 |title=Intestinal infestation with maggots of the cheese fly (Piophila casei) |journal=[[JAMA (journal)|JAMA]] |volume=149 |issue=3 |pages=262–263 |doi=10.1001/jama.1952.72930200005011b |pmid=14927333 }}</ref><ref name="Europarl-2024">{{Cite web |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PETI-CM-758761_EN.pdf |title=Subject: Petition No 0702/2023 presented by Nicolò Quartararo (Italian) on restoring the status of Casu Marzu cheese as a foodstuff and edible product in the EU |date=2024-01-15 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=[[European Parliament]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608022912/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PETI-CM-758761_EN.pdf |archive-date=2024-06-08 |url-status=live |archive-format=PDF}}</ref> however, no cases have been linked to the cheese.<ref name=CNNtravel>Petroni. [https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/casu-marzu-worlds-most-dangerous-cheese/index.html "Casu marzu: The world’s ‘most dangerous’ cheese"], ''[[CNN]] Travel'', 18 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2024.</ref> Additionally, these larvae can carry harmful microorganisms that may lead to infections. Due to these risks, Italian authorities have banned the sale of this cheese, deeming it dangerous. Consequently, it is also prohibited across the [[European Union]], as [[European Food Safety Authority|EU food safety regulations]] mandate that only food safe for consumption can be sold.<ref name="Europarl-2024"/>

Variations of this cheese also exist in [[Corsica]], France, where it is called ''casgiu merzu;''<ref name="casgiu">{{cite news |last=Cazorla |first=Camille |year=2016 |title=Le casu marzu, le fromage (à larves) le plus dangereux du monde |url=https://madame.lefigaro.fr/cuisine/le-casu-marzu-ce-fromage-infeste-de-larves-vivantes-021116-117584 |newspaper=Le Figaro |quote=le casu marzu qui signifie littéralement « fromage pourri » est originaire de Sardaigne, île méditerranéenne située au sud de la Corse. On l'y retrouve sous plusieurs appellations, ''casu modde'', ''casu cundhidu'', mais aussi en Italie, ''formaggio marcio'', ou encore en Corse, sous le nom de ''casgiu merzu''.}}</ref> it is especially produced in some [[Corse-du-Sud|Southern Corsican]] villages like [[Sartène]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gietaravu.com/fromage/sartenais.htm |title=Fromage corse: le Sartenais |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501023222/http://www.gietaravu.com/fromage/sartenais.htm |archive-date=1 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Fermentation==
''Casu martzu'' is created by leaving whole ''pecorino'' cheeses outside with part of the rind removed to allow the eggs of the cheese fly ''Piophila casei'' to be laid in the cheese. A female ''P. casei'' can lay more than 500 eggs at one time.<ref name="fly"/><ref name="australia">{{cite news|title=Top five ... challenging foods; eat, drink, cook ... and be merry|last=Stephens|first=Andrew|date=30 August 2008|work=The Age|page=A2}} Under "Casu martzu"</ref> The eggs hatch and the larvae begin to eat through the cheese.<ref name="journal"/> The acid from the maggots' digestive system breaks down the cheese's [[butterfat|fats]],<ref name="journal">{{cite journal|last=Overstreet|first=Robin M|date=December 2003|title=Presidential Address: Flavor Buds and Other Delights|journal=Journal of Parasitology|publisher=American Society of Parasitologists|location=Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada|volume=89|issue=6|pages=1093–1107|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1305&context=parasitologyfacpubs|pmid=14740894|access-date=6 October 2008|doi=10.1645/GE-236|s2cid=34903443}} Under the "Botflies and other insects" section.</ref> making the texture of the cheese very soft; by the time it is ready for consumption, a typical ''casu martzu'' will contain thousands of these maggots.<ref name="irish">{{cite news|title=Maggots, songbirds and other acquired tastes|last=Hegarty|first=Shane|date= 1 April 2006|newspaper=The Irish Times|page=12}}</ref> The ''pecorino'' is most desirable if made from milk collected towards the end of June, due to the effects of the reproductive cycle of sheep on their lactation, and local fermentation traditions associate higher quality ''casu martzu'' with exposure to a warm ''[[sirocco]]'' wind, which is thought to additionally soften the cheese to encourage further maggot activity.<ref name=CNNtravel /> The overall fermentation process takes a total of three months.<ref name=CNNtravel />

==Consumption==
''Casu martzu'' is considered by Sardinian aficionados to be unsafe to eat when the maggots in the cheese have died.<ref name="Mark">{{cite web|url=https://theoutline.com/post/8843/casu-marzu-cheese-sardinia-illegal-dangerous|title=The secret resistance behind the world's most dangerous cheese|first=Mark|last=Hay|website=The Outline|date=March 31, 2020|access-date=2021-12-27}}</ref> Because of this, only cheese in which the maggots are still alive is usually eaten, although allowances are made for cheese that has been refrigerated, which also quickly kills the maggots.<ref name="Mark"/> Some who eat the cheese prefer not to ingest the maggots. Those who do not wish to eat them place the cheese in a sealed paper bag. The maggots, starved for oxygen, writhe and jump in the bag, creating a "pitter-patter" sound. When the sounds subside, the maggots are dead and the cheese can be eaten.<ref name="Mark"/><ref name="world's worst">{{cite book|last=Frauenfelder|first=Mark|year=2005|title=The World's Worst: A Guide to the Most Disgusting, Hideous, Inept, and Dangerous People, Places, and Things on Earth|chapter=Most Rotten Cheese|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=978-0-8118-4606-6|pages=22–23}}</ref> Modern preservation techniques have expanded the cheese's shelf life to several years, where it would previously be unobtainable outside of late summer and early autumn.<ref name=CNNtravel />

When the cheese has fermented enough, it is often cut into thin strips and spread on moistened Sardinian flatbread (''[[pane carasau]]''), to be served with a strong red wine like [[Grenache|cannonau]].<ref name="journal"/><ref name="bon app">{{cite web|url=http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/features/travel/sardinia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409031053/http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/features/travel/sardinia |archive-date=9 April 2006|title=Sardinia, Italy|last=Loomis|first=Susan Herrmann|date=May 2002|work=Bon Appétit |access-date=8 October 2008 }}</ref> The flavor is described as "intense", with Mediterranean, pastoral, and spicy notes. The [[aftertaste]] is strong enough to remain for hours after a single serving.<ref name=CNNtravel /> Because the larvae in the cheese can launch themselves distances up to {{convert|15|cm|0}} when disturbed,<ref name="fly"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Bethune |first=Brian |date=16 October 2006 |title=The back pages |journal=Maclean's |quote=The agile maggots offer an additional frisson: they can bend themselves so tightly that, when they let go, the force unleashed propels them six inches or more.}}</ref> diners hold their hands above the sandwich to prevent the maggots from leaping.<ref name="Mark"/><ref name="world's worst"/>

==Health concerns==
It is possible for the larvae to survive the stomach acid and remain in the intestine, leading to a condition called [[Myiasis#Accidental myiasis|pseudomyiasis]].<ref name="Europarl-2024"/> There have been documented cases of pseudomyiasis with ''P. casei'',<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peckenschneider |first1=L. E. |last2=Pokorný |first2=C. |last3=Hellwig |first3=C. A. |title=Intestinal infestation with maggots of the "cheese fly" (''Piophila casei'') |journal=The Journal of the American Medical Association |date=17 May 1952 |volume=149 |issue=3 |pages=262–263 |doi=10.1001/jama.1952.72930200005011b|pmid=14927333 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brand |first1=Alonzo F. |title=Gastrointestinal Myiasis: Report of a Case |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine |date=January 1931 |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=149–154 |doi=10.1001/archinte.1931.00140190160017 |publisher=JAMA}}</ref> though a report by [[CNN]] claims no such cases have been linked to ''casu marzu''.<ref name=CNNtravel /> The larvae may also carry harmful microorganisms that could cause infections.<ref name="Europarl-2024"/>

A cooperation between sheep farmers and researchers at the [[University of Sassari]] developed a hygienic method of production in 2005, aiming to allow the legal selling of the cheese.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pubblicitaitalia.com/cocoon/pubit/riviste/articolo.html?Testata=2&idArticolo=8001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516065313/http://www.pubblicitaitalia.com/cocoon/pubit/riviste/articolo.html?Testata=2&idArticolo=8001 |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2013 |title=Edizioni Pubblicità Italia |publisher=Pubblicitaitalia.com |access-date=1 August 2014}}</ref>

Because of its fermentation process, the [[Guinness World Records]] listed ''casu martzu'' as the world's most dangerous cheese in 2009.<ref name=CNNtravel />

==History and legal status==
An Italian journalist for ''CNN'' described ''casu martzu''{{'}}s cultural status as "revered", and the unique cheesemaking process combined with the strong, rare taste of the dish are described as icons of the traditional Sardinian pastoral lifestyle. Local [[Gastronomy|gastronome]] Giovanni Fancello traced the history of Sardinian cuisine to the island's time as a province of the [[Roman Empire]], arguing that "we have always eaten worms, [[Pliny the Elder]] and [[Aristotle]] talked about it... It’s part of our history. We are the sons of this food."<ref name=CNNtravel /> ''Casu martzu'' is traditionally believed to be an [[aphrodisiac]] by Sardinians<ref name="wallstreet">{{cite journal|last=Trofimov|first=Yaroslav|author-link=Yaroslav Trofimov|date=23 October 2000|title=As a Cheese Turns, So Turns This Tale Of Many a Maggot --- Crawling With Worms and Illicit, Sardinia's Ripe Pecorinos Fly In the Face of Edible Reason|journal=Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition)|volume=236|issue=37|pages=A1|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name=CNNtravel /> and the shepherding, milking, and fermentation necessary for the dish feature heavily in the island's [[superstition]] and [[mysticism]].<ref name=CNNtravel />

The cheese was featured on a cooking show by [[Gordon Ramsay]] in 2011, increasing its notoriety to an extent among [[tourism in Italy|tourists]].<ref name=CNNtravel />

The cheese faced legal challenges from the government of Italy as early as 1962, when it was prohibited under laws against the sale of infested food.<ref name=CNNtravel /> Because of [[European Union]] food hygiene-health regulations, the cheese has been outlawed, and offenders face heavy fines.<ref name="world's worst"/> Despite this the laws are sometimes not enforced,<ref name=CNNtravel /> and some Sardinians organized themselves in order to make ''casu martzu'' available on the [[black market]], where it may be sold for double the price of an ordinary block of pecorino cheese.<ref name="Mark"/><ref name="wallstreet"/> As of 2019, the illegal production of this cheese was estimated at {{convert|100|t|ton|lk=out}} per year, worth between €2–3 million.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brescia |first=Giulio |title=Casu marzu, un formaggio pericoloso… in attesa del marchio Dop |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333262537 |page=40}}</ref>

Attempts have been made to circumvent the Italian and EU ban by having ''casu martzu'' declared a traditional food.<ref name="Mark"/> The traditional way of making the cheese is explained by an official paper of the Sardinian government. Sardinia is considered an [[Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute|autonomous region of Italy]]. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sardegnaagricoltura.it/documenti/14_43_20070607153029.pdf |title=Casu frazigu – Formaggi |publisher=Regione autonoma della Sardegna – ERSAT: Ente Regionale di Sviluppo e Assistenza Tecnica |language=it |access-date=29 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722051927/http://www.sardegnaagricoltura.it/documenti/14_43_20070607153029.pdf |archive-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Casu martzu'' is among several cheeses that are not legal in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Van Hare |first=Holly |date=May 30, 2019 |title=These Cheeses Are Banned in the US |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/global-cuisine/cheeses-banned-us |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506224958/https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/global-cuisine/cheeses-banned-us |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |access-date=March 23, 2021 |work=The Daily Meal |publisher=Tribune}}</ref>

==Other regional variations==
{{see also|Corsican cuisine}}
Outside of Sardinia, similar milk cheeses are also produced in the French island of Corsica, as a local variation of the Sardinian cheese produced in some Southern villages and known as {{lang|co|casgiu merzu}}<ref name="casgiu"/> or {{lang|co|casgiu sartinesu}}, as well as in a number of Italian regions.<ref>{{cite web|author=Comuni italiani|url=http://www.comuni-italiani.it/14/enogastronomia.html|title=Cacie' punt|access-date=30 April 2011|work=comuni-italiani.it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207072631/http://www.comuni-italiani.it/14/enogastronomia.html|archive-date=7 February 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Prodotti tipici|url=http://www.prodottitipici.com/prodotto/0188/formaggio-saltarello.htm|title=Formaggio saltarello|access-date=30 April 2011|format=PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212013928/http://www.prodottitipici.com/prodotto/0188/formaggio-saltarello.htm|archive-date=12 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Prodotti tipici|url=http://www.prodottitipici.com/prodotto/10368/Pecorino-Marcetto.htm|title=Pecorino marcetto|access-date=30 April 2011|format=PDF|work=prodottitipici.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212013933/http://www.prodottitipici.com/prodotto/10368/Pecorino-Marcetto.htm|archive-date=12 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
*{{lang|pms|[[Brös|Bross]] ch'a marcia}} in [[Piedmont]];
*{{lang|nap|Cacie' Punt}} ({{lang|it|formaggio punto}}) in [[Molise]];
*''Casu puntu'' in [[Salento]] ([[Apulia]]);
*''Casu du quagghiu'' in [[Calabria]];
*''Frmag punt'' in [[Apulia]];
*{{lang|egl|Furmai nis}} ({{lang|it|formaggio nisso}}) in [[Emilia-Romagna]];
*{{lang|lij|Gorgonzola coi grilli}} in [[Liguria]];
*''Marcetto'' or ''cace fraceche'' in [[Abruzzo]];
*''Salterello'' in [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]].

A similar kind of cheese, called "[[mish]]", is also produced in [[Egypt]].

Several other regional varieties of cheese with fly larvae are produced in the rest of Europe. For example, goat-milk cheese is left to the open air until ''P. casei'' eggs are naturally laid in the cheese.<ref name="journal"/> Then it is aged in white wine, with grapes and honey, preventing the larvae from emerging, giving the cheese a strong flavour. In addition, other regions in Europe have traditional cheeses that rely on live [[arthropod]]s for ageing and flavouring, such as the German {{lang|de|[[Milbenkäse]]}} and French {{lang|fr|[[Mimolette]]}}, both of which rely on [[cheese mite]]s. An early printed reference to [[Stilton cheese]] points to a similar production technique. [[Daniel Defoe]] in his 1724 work ''[[A Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain]]'' notes: "We pass'd [[Stilton]], a town famous for cheese, which is call'd our English [[Parmesan]], and is brought to table with the [[mite]]s or [[maggot]]s round it, so thick, that they bring a spoon with them for you to eat the mites with, as you do the cheese."<ref>Everyman's Library (London/New York: Dent/Dutton, 1928), Vol. II, p. 110.</ref>

According to Rabbi Chaim Simons of the [[Orthodox Union]], kosher ''casu martzu'' can be produced provided that all ingredients are kosher, the [[rennet]] comes from a kosher animal slaughtered in accordance with the laws of [[shechita]], and that the cheese is "gevinat Yisrael" (made under [[Mashgiach|Jewish supervision]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chaimsimons.net/englishkitchen.pdf |title=Wormy Cheese, Cloned Pig Meat and much more for a Kosher table? |publisher=chaimsimons.net |accessdate=2021-12-22}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Italy|France|Food}}
* [[List of sheep milk cheeses]]
* ''[[The Cheese and the Worms]]''
* [[Insects as food]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Italian cheeses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casu Martzu}}
[[Category:Foods and drinks produced with excrement]]
[[Category:Sardinian cheeses]]
[[Category:Insect dishes]]
[[Category:Sheep's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Dishes involving the consumption of live animals]]