{{Short description|Armenian string cheese}} {{Infobox cheese | name = ''Tel panir'' | image = Թել պանիր 2.jpg | alt = | caption = | othernames = ''Husats panir'' | country = Armenia | region = Armenian highlands | town = | source = | pasteurised = | texture = | fat = | protein = | dimensions = | weight = | aging = | certification = | commons = }}
'''''Tel panir''''' ({{langx|hy|թել պանիր|lit=string cheese}}, {{IPA|hy|tʰɛl pɑˈniɾ}}), also known as '''''husats panir''''' ({{langx|hy|հյուսած պանիր|lit=braided cheese}}), is a traditional Armenian cheese, made from strained and fermented milk.<ref name="piruzyan1"/><ref name="dictionary1">{{cite book|title=Հայկական խոհանոցի բառարան [Dictionary of Armenian Cuisine]|author-first1=Vahagn|author-last1=Adamyan|author-first2=Jasmine|author-last2=Babayan|language=hy|location=Yerevan, Armenia|year=2015|page=287}}<blockquote>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:<br><br>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.</blockquote></ref> It is a variety of chechil cheese and consists of a bundle or braided form made up of individual threads.<ref name="piruzyan1">{{cite book|last=Piruzyan|first=Aram S.|author-link=Aram Piruzyan|title=Армянская кулинария|trans-title=Armenian Cooking|language=Russian|publisher=Gostorgizdat|place=Moscow|date=1960|pages=169-170}}<blockquote>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.<br><br>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.</blockquote></ref><ref name="traditionalfood1"/>
The tradition of making ''husats'' cheese in the Shirak region is included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Armenia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int-heritage.am/ich-list-of-ra/|title=ՀՀ ՈՆՄԺ Արժեքների Ցանկ|trans-title=List of Intangible Cultural Values of Armenia|language=hy|website=int-heritage.am|access-date=3 July 2025}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="traditionalfood1"/> In the past, producing cheese with thin threads required a certain level of experience and skill.<ref name="piruzyan1"/> Tel panir is traditionally made in rural areas and was often used to decorate the table.<ref name="piruzyan1"/> It was often shaped in such a way as to highlight the fineness of the threads, which was a sign of high craftsmanship.<ref name="piruzyan1"/>
==Storage== Traditionally, tel panir was stored in brine using clay vessels.<ref name="traditionalfood1"/> This helped preserve its freshness and prevent spoilage. Over time, enamel or glass containers began to be used for storing the cheese.<ref name="traditionalfood1">{{cite book|title=Традиционная пища как выражение этнического самосознания [Traditional food as an expression of ethnic self-awareness]|language=ru|date=2001|author-first1=Serguei|author-last1=Alexandrovich Arutyunov|author-first2=T.|author-last2=A. Voronina|publisher=Nauka|page=123|isbn=9785020087569}}<blockquote>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.</blockquote></ref>
==See also== *Tresse cheese ==References== {{reflist}}
{{Armenian cuisine}}
Category:Armenian cheeses