In Brazil, cheese with fried ants is gaining popularity

In Brazil, an unusual cheese Taiada Silvania with fried leaf-cutter ants has been created, reports Oddity Central. The product quickly became popular among local gourmets.

The idea belongs to Camila Almeida, who aimed to develop a product that could attract tourists to the rural region. The inspiration came from local traditions: residents of this area have long consumed ants as food.

"We roast the ants before adding them to the cheese during the molding stage," explained Almeida, noting that it's impossible to use insects at other stages of production.

Taiada Silvania cheese was first presented at the Mondial du Fromage et des Produits Laitiers exhibition in Tours, France, where it immediately received a bronze medal. After that, Camila was invited to showcase the delicacy at the Salon du Fromage in Paris, and later the cheese repeatedly won awards at competitions throughout South America and gained popularity in Brazil.

In terms of taste, Taiada Silvania is a sweet hard cheese with a light fennel aroma, nutty notes of almond and chestnut, and the characteristic crunch of ants. It costs about 38 dollars per kilogram.