Su casu marzu, illegal but in high demand

Casu marzu: literally means “rotten cheese”, owing to a kind of grubs from the Piophila family inside it. For this reason, the sale of this cheese is forbidden. However, regardless of the law, the shepherds produce small quantities of this cheese (especially for niche markets) and they sell it to those people who request it, perhaps asking to a trusty local person.

Casu Marzu it is a cheese made out of sheep milk (usually Fiore Sardo, but the same procedure can be adapted to other types of cheese). In spring, some cuts are made into the rind, in which surrounding insects place their eggs. The grubs that grow inside of it, eating the cheese's paste, produce a spicy cream, inside the cheese.