A Swiss gruyere with savory butterscotch notes is crowned the world's best cheese

[Chibearsv]

Nothing from the Blessed one on this topic?

 

[Reuben]

I actually love Gruyere cheese, but I'd sure like to sample the winning Gruyere cheese!

[Lucas Buck]

The sharpest cheddar I can find. Fresh mozzarella is another fav. 

[Puros Y Vino]

Oh. Forgot about this one. Tete Du Moine (Monk's head)  https://www.tetedemoine.ch/en/

A big pungent, but comes with its' own serving utensil. Very smooth and nutty.

[my happy place]

For the Blue Cheese fans...

My wife stumbled across these chips (or crisps if from across the pond) at Trader Joe’s. The first couple chips, I thought they were strange but good, then I found myself finishing the bag. I recommend them if that’s the cheese flavor you’re looking for.

[El Presidente]

Love the picture of the cheese wedge!

 

......not sure about the "Flavoured With Other Natural Flavours" 

 

 

 

 

[zacca]

Casu marzu…iykyk (if you know, you know) 😋 🤤 

[El Presidente]

On 11/20/2025 at 2:45 PM, zacca said:

Casu marzu…iykyk (if you know, you know) 😋 🤤 

"The casu marzu or casu martzu is a sheep cheese from Sardinia, in Italy. This cheese is famous for being the 'maggot cheese' or 'grub cheese'. At first sight, it doesn't look tasty."

 

 

Casu Marzu (aka Maggot Cheese)

Amy Scheuerman | April 2, 2014
This article is from: Web Exclusive

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While most of us go to great lengths to prevent maggots in our food, Casu Marzu, a traditional Sardinian cheese, features them in all their live, wriggling glory (or should that be gory?) 

How it’s Made

The cheese is steeped in history and has been made by Sardinians for hundreds of years. Sans maggots, it’s similar to pecorino: an Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. The main difference is that after it’s made, a hole is cut in the top and the cheese is placed outdoors where cheese flies (Piophila casei) can find it and use it as a cheap hotel room for trysts and baby making. 

Why would you want flies to lay eggs in your cheese? Well, the eggs hatch to become maggots and these larval flies eat the cheese, leaving behind excretions of pre-digested fats, proteins, and sugars. Basically, the larvae are fermenting the cheese to an extreme degree. While cheeses that are aged in ways we’re more familiar and comfortable with tend to lose moisture while developing flavor, casu marzu becomes very soft as it develops flavor. 

Hazards of Dining

Aside from the sheer cringe factor of eating live worms (Sardinians believe that the cheese is unsafe to eat when the maggots have died) eating casu marzu can be logistically challenging. The maggots in the cheese get upset when the cheese is disturbed and can actually jump around. And when I write jump, I don’t mean inch around a little, I mean launch themselves for distances of up to 6 inches! To prevent their meal from literally hopping off the plate, diners will hold a hand above the cheese spread bread slice as they raise it to their mouth. Personally, if I were to try it I’d go with some stylish onion goggles. 

Not Alone

While casu marzu is the most well known “maggot cheese” it’s not the only one. Other cheese known for containing live insect larvae include:

• Casgiu merzu in Corsica, France
• Marcetto in Abruzzo, Italy
• Casu du quagghiu in Calabria, Italy
• Cacie’ Punt in Molise, Italy

Can I Try It?

You can’t buy casu marzu in the US (the legality of the cheese is a matter of contention in the EU, which means it can’t be exported for purchase here). It used to be that if you were dying to try a cheese created by living critters, you could get a hunk of Mimolette, but as of October 2013 the US FDA started banning the import of Mimolette from France due to the tiny mites that live on its rind. Until the FDA relaxes its standard of 6 mites per square inch, you’ll just have to enjoy less lively cheeses.

 

[Puros Y Vino]

I was in Sardinia last October and this was served at the end of a BBQ pig feast at the restaurant on our resort. Most of us avoided it and just enjoyed the reactions of those who had it.  😁

[LaoFan]

I dated a girl from Versailles for most of my 20s. Her dad managed the Lido (Moulin Rouge's little glitzier brother) on the Champs-Élysées thru the 70-90s and her mom was a dancer. They call that time the 2nd Belle Époque. To this day he is still the only person I've met who can blindly (I tested this every angle) date and name almost any bottle of wine you put in front of him. Good times. Their family taught me everything I know about cheese, wine and dining, etiquette, etc. And geez did they like some stinky ones...

Munster..

Maroilles..

Époisses..

and the final boss: Vieux-Boulogne.

Most people (including me prior to being properly introduced) get freaked out by blue cheese... these washed rind cheeses that develop footy B. linens are what'll really make you itch.