Dairy
Cabécou
Cabécou is a traditional small, flat goat cheese of south-western France—Quercy, Périgord, and Rouergue—whose name comes from Occitan for “little goat.” Formats are typically palm-sized discs with soft white paste and a thin natural rind; flavour runs from mild and creamy when young to denser, more aromatic, and lightly goaty after drying. It is eaten fresh or aged, grilled on salads, or served with local walnut and prune accompaniments. While Rocamadour holds a specific AOP for one tiny cabécou-style disc, the broader cabécou family remains a regional farmhouse and creamery staple with village-level shape and ageing differences.
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Grading systems
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History
Occitan-speaking farmers of Quercy and Périgord made small cabécou goat discs for household and market use.
Cabécou remained a common farmhouse goat cheese across south-western French plateaus and valleys.
Protected Rocamadour formalised one cabécou lineage while generic cabécou continued as a wider regional style.