Foreign Name for Paneer: What Other Countries Call Indian Cottage Cheese
When you hear paneer, a fresh, unaged Indian cheese made by curdling milk with lemon juice or vinegar. Also known as Indian cottage cheese, it’s soft, crumbly, and holds its shape when cooked—unlike most Western cheeses. But if you walk into a grocery store in the U.S., UK, or Australia and ask for paneer, you’ll likely get a blank stare. That’s because there’s no single, official foreign name for paneer, the term used internationally to describe this specific type of fresh cheese. Most places just call it "cottage cheese," but that’s not quite right.
Cottage cheese is usually softer, wetter, and has a tangier taste because it’s made with bacterial cultures. Paneer is firmer, milder, and holds up in curries, grills, and fried snacks. In the UK, some stores label it as "Indian paneer" to avoid confusion. In the U.S., you’ll find it under "Indian cheese" or sometimes "South Asian cheese." In parts of Europe, it’s sold as "chhena"—a term used in Bangladesh and Eastern India for the same curdled milk base. But here’s the catch: even when labeled correctly, the texture often doesn’t match what you get at an Indian grocery. That’s because paneer needs to be pressed and drained properly, and most Western versions skip that step.
So what do people do when they can’t find real paneer? Many try substituting with halloumi, queso fresco, or even firm tofu. Halloumi works for grilling because it doesn’t melt, but it’s salty and has a different mouthfeel. Queso fresco is close in texture but lacks the clean, milky flavor. Tofu? It’s not cheese at all, but it’s a popular vegan swap. The real issue isn’t the name—it’s the lack of understanding about how paneer is made. It’s not aged, not salted, not cultured. It’s just milk, acid, and pressure. That’s why homemade paneer tastes better than anything you’ll find in a standard supermarket.
If you’ve ever tried to recreate a paneer curry abroad and ended up with mush, you know why this matters. The posts below break down exactly how paneer is made, what to look for when buying it, which substitutes actually work, and why some "Indian cheese" labels are misleading. You’ll also find real stories from cooks who’ve traveled with paneer in their luggage, swapped recipes across borders, and figured out how to make it taste right—even without a dairy market nearby.
