Would you eat a delicacy knowing it is infested with worms that jump straight into your mouth?
On the island of Sardinia, shepherds make Casu Marzu, crowned in 2009 as the most dangerous cheese in the world. The process is disturbing. Flies lay eggs in the dairy product and thousands of larvae devour the inside until it turns into a creamy paste. This delicacy has been banned in Italy and throughout the European Union since 1962.
The reason? Health authorities warn that the worms can survive in your stomach and cause myiasis, leading to microperforations in the intestine. Selling it carries fines of thousands of euros, but the black market endures.