Rocamadour

Appearance & taste

Rocamadour has the shape of a flattened cylinder, a small disc, and weighs about 35 g. The continuous skin is ridged and slightly downy, white to cream or dark beige; the down is formed by milk mould. The cheese contains 45 % fat in dry matter and at least 14 g of dry matter per piece.

The paste is supple and gives slightly under pressure. It is creamy, spreads quickly in the mouth and melts on the tongue. When eaten, the skin and paste have a similar, melting consistency.

Each cheese carries a label at least 4 cm in diameter with the name “Rocamadour”, the words “Appellation d’origine protégée” and the EU logo.

Production

The milk comes from goats of the Alpine and Saanen breeds or their crosses. At least 80 % of their feed is produced in the area: grass, hay, straw and annual fodder plants other than crucifers. Fermented feed is prohibited, and concentrates are limited to 30 % of the dry matter. Genetically modified plants may neither be fed nor grown on the farms’ land.

Only raw whole goat’s milk is used; the only permitted additions are rennet, bacterial, yeast and mould cultures and salt. After standing, the milk is quickly renneted and then coagulates slowly for at least 20 hours through lactic fermentation. The curd then drains slowly and of its own accord and stays moist. It is mixed with salt in the vat and filled into small moulds 60 mm in diameter and 16 mm high. Ripening includes at least 24 hours of drying at a slightly raised temperature and storage in the ripening cellar; in total the cheese ripens for at least six days. Milk production, making and ripening take place in the area.

Origin & history

The area lies on the karst uplands of the Causses and in the valleys of the Lot, Dordogne and Célé. On the mainly calcareous soils, water seeps away into karst caves and deep channels; the area looks barren and dry. Typical are downy oaks and an open landscape in which low, stunted trees alternate with poor grassland. The vegetation of the pastures is moderate and dries out in summer. According to the specification, the dry area is ideal for keeping goats.

According to the specification, Rocamadour is one of the oldest products of the Lot department and its surroundings. A hereditary lease of 1451 between the feudal lord of the area, the Bishop of Évreux, and his vassals expresses the value of the tithe in “cheeses from Rocamadour”. The round, flat shape and the low weight go back to historical cheese moulds with fixed dimensions.