A Chieftain’s Cheese with a warning

Washed rind, high butter fat content and rolled in pinhead oatmeal, Caboc has medieval Highland roots in the ‘chieftain’s cheese’ created by Mariota de Ile who took the thick cream from the milk and matured it in barrels, instead of churning it into butter.

We don’t know hether the Chieftain died in battle or from consuming too much Caboc, so this cheese comes with a warning: a little goes a long way!

 

Caboc is Scotland's oldest cheese, dating from the 15th century in the Scottish Highlands. The cheese was first made by Mariota de Ile, the daughter of the chieftain of the Clan MacDonald of the Isles. At 12 years old, Mariota was in danger of being abducted by the Clan Campbell, who planned to marry her to one of their own and seize her lands. Mariota escaped to Ireland, where she learned how to make cheese. On her return, she passed the recipe to her daughter, who in turn passed it onto her daughter. The recipe is still a secret and has been handed down from mother to daughter ever since. The present maker is Mrs Suzannah Stone of Tain, who works with a team of eight local women and her cheese is sold under the seal of Highland Fine Cheeses Ltd.

 

According to legend, the tradition of coating Caboc in oatmeal started as an accident. A cattle herder stored the day's cheese in a box which he had used to carry his oatcakes earlier that day. Apparently, the oatmeal-coated cheese was enjoyed so much that from that day, Caboc has been made with an oaten coating.


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