# I like cheese, but this is gross! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339 "2000-09-15T18:31:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/1 "2000-09-15T18:31:07Z")
Warning!!! Those with weak stomachs should not read this!!! A trivia service sent this disgusting bit of info to me: An August Wall Street Journal dispatch from Nuoro, Sardinia (Italy), described locals’ love for “casu marzu” (“rotten cheese”), brown lumps of sheep dairy, crawling with maggots, a “viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue” and whose “wiggling worms (often) jump straight toward the eyes with ballistic precision.” Though the cheese is banned by the government, a black market has pushed the price to double that for ordinary cheese. Some locals believe the maggots provide authentication, in that it is only when the maggots die that the cheese is inedible. Has anybody heard of this vile practice? Excuse me while I go vomit… ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/2 "2000-09-15T19:49:18Z")
I gotta admit this has the stink of an urban legend, but I punched “casu marzu” into [http://www.dogpile.com](http://www.dogpile.com) and received dozens of hits. Here’s just one that appears to be from some sort of travel service. [http://www.cagliaritour.com/en/guida/gastr2.htm](http://www.cagliaritour.com/en/guida/gastr2.htm) > [@](#): > > A singular cheese, unlikely to appeal to the tourist, is **casu marzu** (literally, “_rotten cheese_”). It is produced when tiny white larva form in the cheese, gradually reducing it to a creamy consistency. The taste is said to be both delicate and piquant. **Casu marzu** is not sold commercially but is still made privately for home use. Uck. ---
**Author:** ![Kasugai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@Kasugai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasugai)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/3 "2000-09-15T19:49:44Z")
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it…but double the normal price, eh? That settles it. I’m off to Italy. The contents of my refrigerator could make me millions. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/4 "2000-09-15T19:50:19Z")
Boy does that smell like an UL. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/5 "2000-09-15T19:56:34Z")
It ain’t. There was a story in the Chronicle too. They interviewed some villagers, watched them eat cheese, etc. The local government even has laws against it. I doubt they would pass laws if it was an urban legend. It’s gross, but no legend. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/6 "2000-09-15T19:58:21Z")
[Homer voice] 64 slices of American cheese… [/Homer voice] ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/7 "2000-09-15T19:58:43Z")
Strangely, I read a travel writer’s report in _The Independent_ (UK newspaper) about ‘casu marzu’ about three weeks ago. The author himself claimed to have eaten it. He said that it was made by taking unpasteurized _pecorino_ and placing it in a sealed container with about a dozen flies. The container is then left in the sun, and the flies lay their eggs in the cheese. After about three days the cheese is ready–well, if you call rotten being ready. The author claimed that as he ate the cheese, two maggots fell out of it on to his lap. Man, I can’t believe I just typed all that–and I’ve just eaten too. Straight Dope or UL? I’m not sure about this one, but it seems like an awful coincidence. Emphasis on **awful** , I’m sure you’ll agree. ---
**Author:** ![Sea\_Sloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Sea\_Sloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sea_Sloth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/8 "2000-09-15T20:05:20Z")
I agree that this is absolutely horrid, but why is there a law against it? Just because it ranks in the top 10 most vile delicacies? I mean, I could understand the law if the cheese made people sick (I mean really sick, not just going “Eeeeew!”) but then no one would eat it anyway, right? ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/9 "2000-09-15T21:13:01Z")
Finally something to equal what I discovered in Africa! Whilst riding through Northern Malawi, I came across some vendors on the side of the road. They had straw mats out with dozens of little black blobs on them. Being the adventurous type culinarily, I stopped. MISTAKE Apparently the local delicacy involved the little kids catching wild field mice, then the adults would impale them butt first with rough sticks(bark on). After sun drying them for about two weeks, they were sold for the equivalent of 10 cents and eaten like crawfish. The idea of sucking sundried mice brains was just a little too much for me but I did watch some people do it. ewww ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/10 "2000-09-15T21:28:04Z")
If it’s an urban legend, it’s an awfully well received one. I found the cheese mentioned at [this website](http://www.storex.it/italiano/index.htm). Click on “Gastronomia” to see the following description: “_casu marzu: all’interno della forma si sviluppano minuscoli vermi bianchi che, in tempi opportuni, riducono la pasta in crema delicata e piccante.&_” And as UncleBeer mentioned, a web search will reveal many sites that describe the cheese. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/11 "2000-09-15T21:57:22Z")
And I thought I was adventurous for eating Epoisse! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/12 "2000-09-15T22:44:51Z")
Kinda lends a whole new meaning to the saying, “Enough to gag a maggot”, doesn’t it? Pardon me while I ralph the big Technicolor Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/13 "2000-09-16T00:24:42Z")
EEEEWWw… they impale the MICE? That’s just cruel! Poor little meeces! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/14 "2000-09-16T00:31:11Z")
Stilton cheese used to be considered not ripe until it had maggots in it. That’s the British for you 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/15 "2000-09-16T01:10:24Z")
Yet another explanation for the problems with British cuisine. Britain the land of seventeen religions and three sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Sea\_Sloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Sea\_Sloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sea_Sloth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/16 "2000-09-16T01:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pugluvr \* > \*\*And I thought I was adventurous for eating Epoisse! \*\* I hate to reveal my ignorance, but what is Epoisse? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/17 "2000-09-16T02:08:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*EEEEWWw… > they impale the MICE? That’s just cruel! > Poor little meeces! > ☹ \*\* Look **Giunastasia** , there’s no refrigeration. So when it’s that hot you have to make **Mousicles** instead of popsicles. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/18 "2000-09-16T02:16:19Z")
Sea Sloth you’re never that ignorant when a search engine is close at hand 😉 > **[Ad fr](https://wn.com/Ad_fr?from=adfr.com)** ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/19 "2000-09-16T02:19:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sea Sloth \* > what is Epoisse? A cheese formerly (is it still?) made by some monks with a bit of an odor. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339/20 "2000-09-16T02:22:10Z")
Um, I should point out that the cheese, not the monks, have the odor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-cheese-but-this-is-gross/33339.md?page=2)