Cazu Marzu
Country of origin: Sardinia

Description: Casu marzu literally means "rotten cheese." This pungent delicacy is loaded with live insect larvae whose digestive processes give the cheese its soft, creamy texture by breaking down the fats it contains. The cheese also seeps a liquid called "lagrima." The larvae are white worms that measure approximately one-third of an inch and can jump approximately six inches when disturbed. Many people remove the worms before feasting on this delicacy, but others prefer to leave them in.

Because eating the cheese can lead to intestinal infections, the worms can live in your intestines and cause severe lesions in their attempts to dig through your intestinal walls, the product is banned in Italy. However, enforcement in Sardinia is lax and it can be readily found on the black market.