The Mind Creative FEBRUARY 2015 | Page 37

with some liquid seeping out. The cheese has to be apparently eaten when the maggots are still alive because when they are dead it is considered to be toxic! Health issues have arisen in relation to Casu Marzu, including reports of allergic reactions resulting out of the consumption of the cheese that is in an advanced toxic state. Surstromming - Sweden Sweden’s Surstomming is fermented Baltic herring and can be found on supermarket shelves all over the country. The herring is caught in spring just before it starts spawning and is then fermented in barrels for one to two months before being tinned where the fermentation continues for several months. The cans often bulge during shipping and storage because of the continued fermentation process. so much so that certain airlines have in fact banned these cans from being taken on flights, as they consider the pressurized cans to be potentially dangerous. When the can is opened the smell is overpowering due to the advanced fermentation of the fish. It is usually eaten with a type of flat crispy b ɕ