Cooking Up Some Curious Cuisines! Part 7

1. Casu marzu is a Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live fly maggots. The larvae of the cheese fly are deliberately introduced to pecorino cheese, where their digestive action produces an advanced level of fermentation, including a breakdown of the cheese's fats. Casu marzu is not legal in the U.S. because it is considered a health risk due to the presence of live maggots and unpasteurized milk, which violates food safety standards. It is illegal to import, sell, or buy in the United States, as it does not meet modern hygiene standards. Would you eat this cheese if given the opportunity?

2. Sannakji is a Korean dish of chopped raw baby octopus that is known for its slimy and chewy texture and can be dangerous to eat due to the gripping power of the suction cups. The main ingredient is Octopus minor, a small octopus species called nakji. It's a popular "exotic" Korean food that is served with a variety of seasonings. Have you ever eaten octopus?