Tel panir

Tel panir (Armenian: թել պանիր, lit. 'string cheese', Armenian pronunciation: [tʰɛl pɑˈniɾ]), also known as husats panir (Armenian: հյուսած պանիր, lit. 'braided cheese'), is a traditional Armenian cheese, made from strained and fermented milk.^[1]^[2] It is a variety of chechil cheese and consists of a bundle or braided form made up of individual threads.^[1]^[3]

Other namesHusats panir

Country of originArmenia

RegionArmenian highlands

Quick facts Other names, Country of origin ...

Tel panir

Other names	Husats panir
Country of origin	Armenia
Region	Armenian highlands

The tradition of making husats cheese in the Shirak region is included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Armenia.^[4]

Production

The production process of tel panir involves stretching heated low-fat chechil cheese into thin threads, which are then twisted into bundles or braided shapes.^[3] In the past, producing cheese with thin threads required a certain level of experience and skill.^[1] Tel panir is traditionally made in rural areas and was often used to decorate the table.^[1] It was often shaped in such a way as to highlight the fineness of the threads, which was a sign of high craftsmanship.^[1]

Storage

Traditionally, tel panir was stored in brine using clay vessels.^[3] This helped preserve its freshness and prevent spoilage. Over time, enamel or glass containers began to be used for storing the cheese.^[3]

References

[1]
Piruzyan, Aram S. (1960). Армянская кулинария [Armenian Cooking] (in Russian). Moscow: Gostorgizdat. pp. 169–170.
Сыр тел или юсац панир (питочный или плетеный сыр) вырабатывают из такого же сгустка, что и чечил. Юсац панир представлят собой как бы плетеную косу или связку отдельных нитей. Этот сыр изготавливают в сельских местностях преимущественно для украшению стола, чтобы показать мастрество хозяйки. Поэтому сыр специально оформляют, стараясь оттенить тонкость нити, так как для получения продукта с тонкими нитями требуется большой опыт и особое мастерство.

The cheese Tel or Husats Panir (also known as string or braided cheese) is made from the same curd as Chechil. Husats Panir is shaped like a braided strand or a bundle of individual threads. This cheese is traditionally produced in rural areas, mainly for decorating the table, to showcase the hostess's craftsmanship. Therefore, the cheese is specially designed to highlight the delicacy of the threads, as creating a product with thin threads requires great experience and special skill.
[2]
Adamyan, Vahagn; Babayan, Jasmine (2015). Հայկական խոհանոցի բառարան [Dictionary of Armenian Cuisine] (in Armenian). Yerevan, Armenia. p. 287.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Թել պանիր, թելքաշ պանիր, թել-թել, թելի ձև ունեցող պանիր: Թելպանիր, թել-պանիր - երեսը քաշած և թթվեցրած կատից պատրադստված պանրի տեսակ, որի զանգվածը թելանման հյուսվածքից է կազմված՝ կաժ պանիր, գաժ, հուսակ, չեչիլ պանիր:

Tel panir, string cheese, thread cheese, cheese in the shape of threads, - a type of cheese made from strained and fermented milk, whose mass consists of thread-like texture – such as Kaj cheese, Gaj cheese, Husak cheese, Chechil cheese.
[3]
Alexandrovich Arutyunov, Serguei; A. Voronina, T. (2001). Традиционная пища как выражение этнического самосознания [Traditional food as an expression of ethnic self-awareness] (in Russian). Nauka. p. 123. ISBN 9785020087569.
A variety of Chechil cheese is Husak and Tel Panir, which is made by repeatedly stretching heated low-fat Chechil cheese into thin threads and then twisting them into bundles. These cheeses were traditionally stored in brine in clay vessels, and later in enamel or glass containers.
[4]
"ՀՀ ՈՆՄԺ Արժեքների Ցանկ" [List of Intangible Cultural Values of Armenia]. int-heritage.am (in Armenian). Retrieved 3 July 2025.

Production

Storage

See also

References

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