Caboc

Said to be Scotland’s oldest cheese, Caboc is a rich double cream cheese which is allowed to age naturally without the addition of rennet. The cheese is shaped into small logs and rolled in toasted pinhead oatmeal. It is pale primrose yellow with a buttery and smooth texture. The texture is slightly thicker than clotted cream, comparable to cream cheeses such as mascarpone. It has a fat content of 67%.

The recipe for Caboc dates back to the 15th century in the Scottish Highlands. It was cheese for the wealthy, as only the rich had access to rich, soft cheeses called 'White Meats'. Mariota de Ile, the daughter of the chieftain MacDonald of the Isles, developed the recipe of Caboc and passed it to her daughter, who in due course handed it over to the future generations. The recipe is still kept secret and is only known by Suzannah Stone of Tain, who makes the cheese under her Highland Fine Cheeses Ltd label.