From peynir to paneer, where did it all begin?
If you are an Indian and a vegetarian, you know there can't be a party, wedding, or celebration without a paneer dish on the menu. Paneer is a common ingredient in any Indian cuisine, and other Asian countries. The unaged cheese most frequently used in Indian cuisine is called paneer. This mild, white, and non-melting cheese is popularly known as ’Indian cottage cheese’. Paneer is created by curdling milk with vegetable-derived acids like lemon juice. But do you know where this delicacy came from and why it is named paneer? Let us explore its history.
Varied origin theories
The word ’paneer’ is derived from the Persian and Turkish word ‘peynir’. The Persian and Afghan kings of the Mughal empire introduced the modern paneer in the sixteenth century. Initially, Indians, especially in the northern part, prepared paneer using goat or sheep rennet. Portuguese invaders are supposed to have introduced the modern method of manufacturing paneer in the seventeenth century.
With the abundance of cattle, including goats, sheep, camels, cows, and buffalo, Asia has always had a strong legacy of dairy products. Since there are numerous theories regarding the origin of paneer, let’s explore all the three versions: Portuguese-Bengali, Afghani-Iranian, and Vedic Indian versions.
The Vedic Indian origin story
The Indus Valley civilization (3,300 BCE to 1300 BCE) was the first to make cheese, using acidic plants, barks, and berries by curdling the milk. Next came the Aryan civilizations, where cheese was forbidden. Since cows were revered in the Aryan civilization as divine beings, milk was thought to be something that shouldn't be acidified. There are numerous references to butter, curd, and ghee in Hindu scriptures like Ramayana, Mahabharata, but sour milk cheese is rarely mentioned. This is because breaking the milk was frowned upon back then. Thus, making cheese was virtually forgotten for hundreds of years.
The Rigveda, a revered Hindu literature written around 1,500 and 1,000 BCE, refers to two kinds of cheese resembling paneer. Verse 6.48.18 in Rig Veda implies a type of cheese. The indication of a milk product formed following the heat-acid coagulation of milk is found in Sanskrit classic ‘Charak Samhita’. Many food historians claim that heated and acidified milk was present even during the Kushana- Satvahana period of 75-300 CE. A solid portion was prepared by blending lukewarm milk and curd to feed the day's soldiers. Celebrated Indian Chef Sanjeev Kapoor too claims that a reference to a food item like paneer is found in Vedic literature.
The Afghan-Iranian history
According to this version, paneer was introduced to India by migrants from Iran and Afghanistan. In the North-Western region of South Asia, paneer preparation appears to be a primitive practice. The Afghan and Iranian invaders, according to the National Dairy Research Institute, were the ones who brought paneer into India in 16th century. The Afghans produced cheese using goat and sheep rennet, forerunners of modern cheese.
The Portuguese-Bengali theory
According to a third theory, the Portuguese who lived in Bengal in the 17th century taught the locals how to break milk using citric acid. They brought fresh cheese from their native country. Then they introduced the Bengalis to the idea of acidifying milk, shattering a long-standing taboo. Thus, Bengalis learned to prepare cheese or chhena. The unsolidified cheese, known as chhena, is used to manufacture a variety of other sweets by Bengali mithaiwalaas (sweet makers). The ‘Rasogolla’ is well-known among them.
Although debate on the origin of paneer continues, Indians' affection for this creamy and filling delight does not waver. Indian cuisine continues to be inseparably linked to paneer. Enjoy paneer fully in its delicious dishes!