Milbenkäse

Milbenkäse is a unique German cheese produced in Würchwitz. The cheese is made by combining mites with balls of quark (dried and seasoned with salt and caraway) in a wooden box with rye flour, then leaving the cheese for at least 3 months.

The mites' digestive juices diffuse into the cheese and cause fermentation. The rye flour is added because the mites would otherwise eat the whole cheese instead of just feasting on the crust. After just 1 month, the rind becomes yellow, and after 3 months it's reddish-brown.

The mites are also consumed with the cheese, and the flavor of Milbenkäse is said to be similar to Harzer cheese, but with bitter notes and a zesty aftertaste. The locals don't have any problems with the cheese mites – in fact, they've built a statue celebrating the creature in the center of the village.