Cabécou

1. History

The name Cabécou comes from Occitan "cabre" meaning goat, with the diminutive suffix "cou", literally "little goat". Originating from Massif Central regions like Quercy, Rouergue, Haute-Auvergne, Bas-Limousin, and Périgord, it has been produced since antiquity by housewives using raw goat's milk. Its history may trace back to the introduction of goats by Arabs in the Middle Ages, with pre-Roman domestication evidence in Périgord.

2. Physical characteristics

Cabécou is a small round disk-shaped cheese, 4 to 6.5 cm in diameter and 1.5 to 2.5 cm thick, weighing 40 to 60 grams. It has a soft lactic paste from pre-draining and molding, with a natural bloomy rind. It contains about 45% fat and is aged from 5 days to 4 weeks.

3. Taste profile

Cabécou has a mild, slightly lactic taste, once called "cream cheese," with subtle goaty notes that intensify with aging. Its texture is creamy and melting, developing nutty aromas after a few days in the cellar. Young, it is fresh and smooth, perfect raw or cooked.

4. Production zone and period

Mainly produced in Périgord (Dordogne), as well as Quercy (Lot), Rouergue (Aveyron), Haute-Auvergne (Cantal, Haute-Loire), and Bas-Limousin (Corrèze). Production spans southern Massif Central in Occitan lands. It is artisanal, farm or dairy-made, with local milk year-round but optimal during goat lactation season.

5. Certification

Cabécou du Périgord has been protected since 1992 by a collective trademark with strict farming and production standards. Though not AOC or AOP, it holds agricultural designation and regular sensory controls. Variants like Rocamadour have AOP since 1996.