The Quercy walnut has a particularly fruity flavor. It has been consumed in the region for 17,000 years, that is to say the time when Cro-Magnon man lived! In the 10th century, just to give you an idea of its value, the peasants pay their debts in setiers of walnuts, the setier, is an old measure, between 150 and 300 litres. And 3 centuries later, it is downright the leases, that is to say the rents of the farms and smallholdings, which are paid in walnut oil to the abbey owners! This oil is, throughout the Middle Ages and also in the Renaissance, as precious as gold.
Walnut oil is in the kitchen but not only: at this time, it is used for lighting, painting, decoration, and even, the manufacture of soaps! What is incredible is that Périgord knew how to make this oil a real business, and propel it beyond the region: the gabarriers of the Dordogne, who navigate on sailing and rowing boats, go up the river in the direction of Bordeaux. From there, the walnut oil is shipped to Holland, Great Britain and Germany.
The more time passes, the greater the production. But several harsh winters wreaked havoc on the walnut plantations, like that of 1870. And then the arrival of other oils, such as rapeseed and peanuts, from the colonies, would accentuate its decline. Fortunately, as early as the 1950s, the Noix du Périgord sector mobilized to keep its walnut groves, and won a Protected Designation of Origin in 2004 !
In the region, there is also the Rocamadour, a cheese that has also had its protected designation of origin since 1996. It is one of the oldest products from the Causses du Quercy. Formerly, it bore the name of “Cabécou de Rocamadour”, cabécou is an Occitan word which means “little goat cheese”. The goats themselves arrived with the Arab invasions in the Middle Ages… known as sharecropping and tax value. The tithe, the tax of the time, was fixed in cheese! It is said that it was the Cistercian monks who lived in the area who encouraged people to eat cheese instead of meat. Perhaps the reason why Rocamadour has crossed the centuries without taking a wrinkle!
Before tasting it, you just have to wait for it to sweat… fine drops of cream pearl under its skin and it’s the perfect moment! I know others that sweat during the ride, but are they edible, that is the question!