# is Sardinian maggot cheese real?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 1, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858 "2006-04-01T17:47:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/21 "2006-04-02T05:51:04Z")
To give an example of the kind of references, for instance, one of the articles, if I understood correctly the gist of it was about the excessive romanticization (I suspect this is not a word. I hope you’ll get what I mean) of past eras, and, as an example of that, the author states that it certainly wasn’t because the worm-infested cheese was the best available that farmers used to eat it, and mock people who seek it as a delicacy or locals who think of it as a symbol of a traditionnal way of life worth defending.
Of course, the italian author could also have been misled, but he seems to present as a fact the existence of said cheese-seekers and locals.
Personnally, I’m going to accept its existence as real, until shown otherwise.
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### Author:  [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/22 "2006-04-02T05:51:45Z")
Wasn’t there a recent programme in the last year or so (from either the Discovery Channel, TLC or National Geographic Channel), that carried something about Sardinian Maggot Cheese?
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/23 "2006-04-02T06:27:46Z")
By the way, it’s often mentionned in France that Corsica has a cheese which is eaten only when worms are festering on it. Of course, since I’ve heard about the casu marzu, I suspected it was the same thing, but I never heard much about the corsican one, besides “they wait until there are worms in it”.
Also, as a child, I did eat local cheese with worms in it (one of my great-aunts, in particular, made it) . There were always worms. As far as I can tell (given my age, it’s not like I conducted an enquiry in depth), it wasn’t specifically intended, but rather accepted as a matter of fact that you always ended up with worms when you made this cheese. That’s also another reason why I’ve no much issue with the existence casu marzu. The only difference with my great-aunt being that allegedly they would deliberatly let the worms multiply in it. Sure, it’s quite a significant difference, but it doesn’t seem that outrageous a claim to me.
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/24 "2006-04-02T06:39:20Z")
I quickly checked, and the corsican cheese I was refering to is called “u casgiu merzu” . Given the similarity of names, I assume it’s indeed the same thing. They mentions it is kept until it reaches an advanced state of putrefaction, but nothing about worms.
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/25 "2006-04-02T06:48:03Z")
It seems that the “casgiu merzu” too is filled with worms. Or at least has this reputation. It’s mentionned in some sites about french cheeses and about Corsica. A tourism site advise tourists not to try it. One cheese site doesn’t mention worms. Generally spaking, there are few references about it, and none incontroversial (say, a reference to a law that woul forbid its sale, or somesuch). But once again I somehow doubt that we’re facing a cheese conspiracy spread over two countries.
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/26 "2006-04-02T07:14:02Z")
My short enquiry about the “casgiu merzu” let appears that it’s actually the name given to another cheese when it’s appropriately rotten. It seems that this cheese can (and generally is) eaten early but could be kept for months hence could be used to “bridge” between two cheese-making seasons.
References to it generally mentions it’s rotten, but protected by a crust. A number of people make reference to it being filled with worms, but only one person amongst them seems to state he actually had some. Others references don’t mention any worm.
All in all there are very few references to the corsican version, while there are a lot of italian pages where the worm (or the cheese) is mentionned. I guess we would need an italian speaker to dig cites.
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### Author:  [@gingin9110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gingin9110)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2013, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/27 "2013-04-08T10:05:04Z")
It is very real!!! Here in Sardinia many I would n’t say all love this cheese. Riddling with maggots that jump all over the place when sitting on the table.
At one point in history they made the production of this cheese illegal, but it could always be found on the black market.
Today this typical product has been listed in the traditional Italian foods and is awaiting for the EU to award it a DOP certification.
[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=436302539797899&set=a.258333334261488.60475.129334647161358&type=1&theater](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=436302539797899&set=a.258333334261488.60475.129334647161358&type=1&theater)
Here is a photo of a wheel of maggot cheese that was on my table at Christmas. No I didn’t eat it, but many did slap their chops at it.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/28 "2013-04-08T14:29:36Z")
That FaceBook page has a link to a page that includes a video of Gordon Ramsey trying the cheese. So unless he’s in on the joke or someone was pulling a nasty trick on him with some rotten maggot infested cheese I would say it’s been validated.
> **[Maggot Cheese - The Most Dangerous Cheese in the world ?](http://www.experiencesardinia.com/maggot-cheese.html)**
>
> Maggot Cheese Learn about the truths of Italy’s bizarre food Casu Marzu with these amusing true stories and video’s
Here’s a direct link to the video.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LymNQnKxpdQ)
And yes, I realize that this is a zombie thread.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/29 "2013-04-08T16:42:54Z")
Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern eats Sardinian maggot cheese:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfzPzPkSX3s)
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### Author:  [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/30 "2013-04-09T11:44:57Z")
I love cheese! All different kinds of cheese! But, putrified, maggot infested cheese?! :dubious:
Not, _NO_… But, _ **HELL NO** _! :eek:
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### Author:  [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/31 "2013-04-09T11:51:40Z")
Maggot cheese is one thing.
But 7 year old zombie-maggot cheese? Delish!
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/32 "2013-04-09T12:29:59Z")
It’s real and it’s craptacular!
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/33 "2013-04-09T12:48:36Z")
I still don’t understand. How do they milk the maggots?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/34 "2013-04-09T14:13:20Z")
> [@gingin9110](#):
>
> Today this typical product has been listed in the traditional Italian foods and is awaiting for the EU to award it a DOP certification.
Is that really necessary? Are they afraid that people in other countries are going to make their own maggoty cheese and try to pass it off as real casu marzu? Who is going to do that?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/35 "2013-04-09T14:27:22Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#):
>
> I still don’t understand. How do they milk the maggots?
Very tiny pails.
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### Author:  [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/36 "2013-04-09T14:34:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#):
>
> Very tiny pails.
Don’t forget the very tiny milking stool! 😃
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/37 "2013-04-09T14:43:42Z")
Maggots have tits? [I don’t see no tits](http://www.cracked.com/article_18871_12-things-youll-wish-youd-never-seen-under-microscope.html).
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### Author:  [@gingin9110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gingin9110)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/38 "2013-04-11T07:35:40Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Is that really necessary? Are they afraid that people in other countries are going to make their own maggoty cheese and try to pass it off as real casu marzu? Who is going to do that?
First they want this food product to be recognized as part of the traditions, the production of this cheese has been around for hundreds of year part of their heritage.
Second, It wouldn’t surprise me to find fake casu marzu on the market, after all with all the other fake Italian products that are on the market, its all about money at the end of the day, especially when you think that counterfeiting of Italian products amounts to about 50 billion euro’s a year.
> [@](#):
>
> I still don’t understand. How do they milk the maggots?
The maggots are not milked, its the fly that enters the wheel of cheese after it has been made and lays the lava.
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### Author:  [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sardinian-maggot-cheese-real/350858/39 "2013-04-11T07:47:22Z")
> [@gingin9110](#):
>
> The maggots are not milked, its the fly that enters the wheel of cheese after it has been made and lays the lava.
Mama mia! That’s a some spicy maggot!
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