This is casu marzu. It’s an Italian cheese—Sardinian, specifically.
Do you know what makes casu marzu special? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s a strong cheese, but it’s not just fermented. It’s partially decomposed. How does that happen? So glad you asked. It’s deliberately introduced to the cheese fly, which lays eggs in it. When they hatch, the maggots start working on it themselves—eating, defecating.
Some people clear the maggots from the cheese before eating it, while others do not, considering them part of the experience.
This might be grosser than a balut.
Might.
Image by Shardan, used under this license. No changes were made.
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