🧀 Rocamadour

Rocamadour is a small soft goat's cheese made from raw whole milk on the causses of Quercy, in the heart of the Lot and in parts of Aveyron, Corrèze, Dordogne and Tarn-et-Garonne. Recognised as an appellation d'origine contrôlée in 1996, it is protected in the EU as a PDO. ¹³⁴

The causse. The limestone bedrock is riddled with sinkholes and karst fissures that swallow all the water, so the land looks dry and the soils are poor. Downy oaks, heath and thin grassland dominate; pastures and uncultivated land cover more than a quarter of the area, and only sheep and goats can make use of such sparse vegetation. ²⁴

Goats and feed. The milk comes only from Alpine, Saanen or crossbred goats, milked morning and evening. At least 80% of their ration comes from the area, fermented fodder is banned and concentrates stay below 30% of dry matter; plants and supplements must be GM-free. ²⁴

The milk. It is collected at least every 48 hours, so from no more than the last four milkings. On farms, rennet goes into milk from the last two milkings at most, within 6 hours of the latest, and concentrating the milk before curdling is forbidden. ⁴

How it is made. A little animal rennet at 18–23 °C is followed by slow curdling for at least 20 hours at 18 °C or more and pre-draining for at least 12 hours. Salt is mixed into the curd (0.6–0.8%), which goes into moulds 60 mm across and 16 mm high. With a health derogation, the drained curd may be frozen before salting. ²⁴

Ripening. At least 24 hours of airing at up to 23 °C and over 80% humidity, then a drying room or cellar at 10 °C or more and over 85% humidity, for at least 6 days after unmoulding. Geotrichum gives the rind its velvety look, and the ripening racks leave stripes on it. ²⁴

The cheese. A round puck of about 35 g, with at least 14 g of dry matter per cheese and 45% fat in dry matter. The rind ranges from creamy white to dark beige; the supple, creamy paste melts in the mouth, and the rind has the same texture. ²⁴

History and figures. A lease of 1451 between the Bishop of Évreux and his vassals set a tithe in "Rocamadour cheeses"; it was long also called Cabécou de Rocamadour and was once made from cow's and sheep's milk too. In 1953 the book Fromages de France described it as a cabécou of about 40 g, mostly farm-made. ⁴ In 2024, 1,261 tonnes were sold, 421 tonnes of them farmhouse, 12% more than in 2014. ⁵

Rocamadour or Cabécou? The two names overlap. The cheese was once also called Cabécou de Rocamadour, and in 1953 a book on French cheeses described it as a cabécou of about 40 g, mostly farm-made; today the protected name is simply Rocamadour. Compare it by process: raw whole goat's milk, a little animal rennet, slow curdling of at least 20 hours and pre-draining of at least 12 hours, salt mixed into the curd, and a small round of about 35 g. Other cabécous follow their own rules.

Look for the name “Rocamadour” on a label at least 4 cm across with the words “protected designation of origin” and the EU PDO symbol. In self-service, a single label may cover a batch packed at the production site; at a market the stall shows the producer, the address and the PDO statement. The cheese is a small round puck of about 35 g with a creamy white to dark beige rind. You will find it at a cheesemonger or a market.

Why it matters to you. Each Rocamadour carries a label at least 4 cm across with the name, the words "protected designation of origin" and the EU PDO symbol. In self-service, a single label may cover a batch packed at the production site, and at markets the stall shows the producer, the address and the PDO statement. ²