Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Sardinian worm cheese


Ce'nedra

Recommended Posts

I don't know if I could handle that stuff. Not just because of the worms themselves, but... IIRC, if the cheese goes too.. ermm... "far"... in the decomposition process, you can die from it. Apparently if the worms look OK, it's supposed to be a sign that things aren't too far gone, but.... :wacko:

Worms wiggling inside my oozy cheese = not interested.

Death wiggling inside my squishy insides = no way.

I don't think I'd freak out or vomit or be more than just stunned if I ate it unknowingly. But I've already heard of it, so I'm going to steer clear of any creamy-looking cheeses in Sardinia...

"I know it's the bugs, that's what cheese is. Gone off milk with bugs and mould - that's why it tastes so good. Cows and bugs together have a good deal going down."

- Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry), Chef!

eG Ethics Signatory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its no longer easy to get, i think it runs counter to EU health codes. i had it once several years ago. if you get past fighting the maggots for your bits of cheese, its not bad at all. it had pretty good mouthfeel, and a fairly pleasant texture, if not an outstanding flavor profile. for a fairly close approximation, try stinking bishop cheese in the UK. For my money id take the stinking bishop any day/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
To see what I'm talking about, watch this (towards the end): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9t-5E3OpQ&feature=related

:shock:

Anyone ever tried it? Details please?

Yikes! I'll bet there's at least one eG Society member in that clip.

I'd like to hear more about how the cheese actually tastes and how much it costs. It looks quite appetizing - from a distance.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Details from my Dizionario Enciclopedico dei Formagggi (aka my Cheese Bible)

Casu Becciu, also known as Casu Marzu and Casu Fattittu

Sheep cheese, usually a type of Fiore Sarde, produced in the area of San Nicolo Gerrei, and San Gavino Monreale. Produced quantity is unknown.

Casu becciu literally means old cheese, or in reality a cheese that has gone bad or rotten. Fruit flies (Piophila casei) deposit their eggs on the crust or rind of the cheese. The fly larva impregnate the cheese with their digestive enzymes rendering the cheese into a creamy state that is strong and sharp. It is eaten as a spread on bread. It is forbidden to be sold commercially, it is however found and eaten in many areas in Sardinia.

To circumvent the law, and to please the lovers of Casu Becciu, a similar tasting cheese is made using the 'lipase' enzyme, which is a byproduct of goat curd.

mmmmm.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my biggest problem with eating the cheese was that it smacked a bit of a frat house stunt... the sardinians did nothing to alleviate this, with quite a few people commenting on tourists wanting to try the worms.

after the buildup the cheese itself was quite nice, but a bit of an anticlimax. think of a creamy cheese that has the texture of brie, and the taste of a sharp cheddar thats been sitting in the sun too long. i enjoyed it, but i wouldnt go out of my way to try it. italy has far too many superior cheeses to go after.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its no longer easy to get, i think it runs counter to EU health codes. i had it once several years ago. if you get past fighting the maggots  for your bits of cheese, its not bad at all. it had pretty good mouthfeel, and a fairly pleasant texture, if not an outstanding flavor profile. for a fairly close approximation, try stinking bishop cheese in the UK. For my money id take the stinking bishop any day/

Thanks for the tasting report! I saw an article about this a few months ago in the L.A. Times and was curious about how it would taste. Don't think I would attempt it though given an opportunity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Daniel Defoe gave the first description of Stilton in the 18th century, it was described as being so covered with mites or maggots that a spoon was provided to eat them.

I imagine that infested cheese might be relatively common.

If mites or maggots render a cheese runny, perhaps that is why a spoon was provided? Not for eating the actual maggots?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...