Start Here

A bowl of soft white Persian cheese curd draining, seen whole on a table — Panir at its simplest: milk set into soft white curd, drained and lightly salted.

A concentrated source of protein and calcium in a small portion.

Brined cheese keeps for weeks without spoiling — real value before refrigeration.

Sheep's milk cheese is naturally higher in fat and calcium than cow's milk cheese.

Panir is simply white cheese kept in salt water, but every part of that description matters. Iran's best-known kind comes from Lighvan, a village near Tabriz, where sheep's milk cheese ages in brine for months until it's firm, crumbly and sharply salty. Greek-style feta is a good stand-in. The salt preserves the cheese rather than seasoning it at the end, so a small piece goes a long way. Panir is rarely cooked. You put it on the table in cubes or slabs and eat it with bread, herbs and walnuts.

Eaten with herbs and walnuts it makes a complete meal with no cooking at all.