# Casu Marzu: ILLEGAL Italian cheese (be warned: very gross!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220 "2008-09-12T03:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/41 "2008-09-13T04:05:06Z")
> [@](#): > > When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches). Mexican Jumping Cheese? ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/42 "2008-09-13T04:07:05Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > I say, the more jump boat before you plop the cheese down the hatch the better: > > I mean, I’ve seen plenty of disgusting, barf inducing “food”, but none that tries to munch its way out of your gut after you eat it. In Soviet Russia, cheese eats you! ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/43 "2008-09-13T06:08:36Z")
I already said[in this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10166216&postcount=34) that I would try casu marzu if I ever got the chance. I do wonder what the odds are of having the maggots survive and try to bore out through your intestines. I mean, the odds of it can’t be _that_ good, right? How many documented cases of that are there? Surely it’s less risky than eating fugu, right? And I’d definitely eat that if I could. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/44 "2008-09-13T11:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I already said in this post that I would try casu marzu if I ever got the chance. I do wonder what the odds are of having the maggots survive and try to bore out through your intestines. I mean, the odds of it can’t be that good, right? How many documented cases of that are there? Surely it’s less risky than eating fugu, right? And I’d definitely eat that if I could. Live dangerously! Eat _fugu parmesan_, made with (unbaked) _casu marzu_! With lutefisk and hakarl on the side! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/45 "2008-09-13T14:44:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Live dangerously! Eat _fugu parmesan_, made with (unbaked) _casu marzu_! With lutefisk and hakarl on the side! Ah, the ingredients of peace: universal vomit. Or, to put it another way… Peace ingredients What the fuck are you eating? Pray for a quick death ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/46 "2008-09-13T14:51:16Z")
If I ever get me some of that cheese I’m going to make a pizza with most of it, have me a pizza party, and then show the leftover cheese to the party goers after they have chowed down. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/47 "2008-09-13T15:24:45Z")
**Annie-Xmas** , but you’ll make sure to wait until you have got the guests OUT of your house first, right? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/48 "2008-09-13T15:56:18Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > **Annie-Xmas** , but you’ll make sure to wait until you have got the guests OUT of your house first, right? 🙂 I hadn’t thought about it, but I get your point. Having to clean up maggot cheese vomit would be beyond nasty. It will also give me a chance to run inside and lock the door before my guests recover enough to start hitting me. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/49 "2008-09-13T18:30:51Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I hadn’t thought about it, but I get your point. Having to clean up maggot cheese vomit would be beyond nasty. On the other hand, it would give you a prime opportunity to tally the percentage of maggots that survived the initial ingestion process. You really oughta do it, purely in the name of science. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/50 "2008-09-13T18:38:14Z")
I prefer my “acquired tastes” foods to be a little more sedentary than that. [surströmming](http://tradisjoner.no/text105.html) for instance. Banned on most airlines as an explosion hazard. ---
**Author:** ![AT\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@AT\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AT_Love)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220/51 "2008-09-13T18:49:39Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > Somebody should notify that dude on the Travel Channel who’s always in foreign countries eating poached goat anuses and that sort of thing. Or has he already signed the guest book and left? > > In a similar vein, has anyone tried [fried fish semen?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milt) Andrew Zimmern(sp). I am hooked on that goofy show. I have a weak stomach and can’t even keep milk down because I think its disgusting so I think my trying casu marzu would be catastrophic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casu-marzu-illegal-italian-cheese-be-warned-very-gross/463220.md?page=2)