Some of the most genuinely delicious food in the world exists because of rot. There'd be no cheese or bread, both of which depend on natural processes of decomposition. In pursuit of flavor and texture we carefully tend to the rotting of beef so that its protein bonds are desirably weak. Worcestershire sauce is a continuation of the Roman garum or fishpickle -- rotted fish guts left in a jar with spices until it ferments. Soy sauce is not much different, but for the fish guts.

Carrion eating is built into our teeth.

These stars are for Architeuthis Tux

Yeah, but cheese infested with maggots?

Someone HAD to have been utterly desperate to eat that shit for the first time.

Because of how cheese is made, it's more logical than it really seems like it should be.

The production of cheese relies on some means of partially digesting the milk. Be it rennet (traditionally harvested from the stomachs of baby animals, I might add), bacteria or mold. So it's not automatically a sign that someone was desperate that they tried cheese with maggots in it. The cheese flies infest, the maggots digest -- there's a context in which eating this vile, terrifying cheese product makes sense.

The one that has me personally scratching my head is lant -- when it's used as a preservative on baked goods like croissants. It's stale *human urine*. It's gone largely out of favor for some reason, but I think there are still some places that use it. It's use is old, too. Catullus made fun of the (proto)Spanish using it to clean their teeth.

"The cheese flies infest, the maggots digest -- there's a context in which eating this vile, terrifying cheese product makes sense."

fucking pure Dr. Suess POETRY! SLAM!

I've read somewhere that they tend to go for the eyes when they jump.

I hear people stick the cheese in a sealed bag to kill the larvae. But optional

As hilarious as that would be, I'd think a maggot would lack the senses and knowhow to effectively home in on your eyes.

that guy has an amusing build