Cheese Tea: nothing like tea topped with a layer of cheese

What is cheese tea? 

Cheese tea is not as jarring as it might initially sound.  In the same way cheesecake is cake combined with a light, smooth cheese…cheese tea is tea combined with cream cheese.  More specifically, it can be either hot tea or iced tea topped with foamy salted cream cheese.  This adds a creamier, more savory element to tea than your usual milk.  Enthusiasts of this faddish drink discourage the mixing of the cheese foam into the tea to enjoy a more distinct creamy flavor just prior to tasting the tea.

Originating in Taiwan back in 2010 and quickly spreading throughout China and Malaysia, cheese tea has gone global reaching past the boundaries of Asia into Australia, Europe and North America.

What is in it?

Cheese tea has two distinct components, which as you might guess are the tea and the cheese. The tea most commonly used is either a black or green tea. The cheese used is a sweet cream cheese that is often combined with whipped cream and/or milk and formed into a foam. The foam is often topped with a bit of sea salt or Himalayan salt.

Is cheese tea hot or cold?

Cheese tea is commonly enjoyed cold. This helps the layer of cheese foam to remain intact longer. However, it can also be enjoyed warm for those who prefer hot beverages. The heat of the tea will cause the cheese foam to melt, which can be mixed into the drink for a more uniform flavor with every sip.

Does it have any health benefits?

As with drinking any other type of black and green tea, this cheese foam-topped tea also has the same health benefits plus the benefits of cheese foam. The tea provides antioxidants that can help reduce blood pressure, blood sugar and the risk of getting cancer. The cheese provides dairy fat which can help mitigate obesity.

However, since this beverage contains sugar and full fat, it should be enjoyed in moderation.

Where can I get it?   

If you don’t have plans of venturing out of the US anytime soon, check out this interactive map to find places that are now serving this internationally acclaimed frothy drink.

How can I make it?  

There are a number of ways to make cheese tea.  There are some slight variations on the Taiwanese, Chinese, and other countries’ versions of cheese tea.  It all depends on your taste (i.e. what type of tea you prefer, if you like your tea hot or cold, how sweet you like your tea, etc.).  Here is a recipe that you can use and modify as necessary to create your ideal cheese tea.

cheese tea

A popular type of iced tea topped with cream cheese foam.

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Ingredients

• For cheese:
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces cream cheese powder
• 1/3 cup whipped cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons condensed milk
• 1 pinch sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• For tea:
• tea (as preferred: earl grey, green tea, matcha, oolong, etc.)
• sugar (to taste)

Instructions

1. First, prepare the cheese. In a large bowl; mix the milk, cream cheese, and cream cheese powder with a hand blender (or a fork) until completely even.
2. Add condensed milk, whipped cream, and salt into the mix until medium foamy peaks are formed.
3. Cover the cheese foam with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. While the cheese is chilling, make your tea.  Boil water in a tea kettle or pot.  Then, pour boiled water in a heat-safe pitcher and steep your tea to your preferred strength.
5. Put tea in the refrigerator until chilled. (optional)
6. Pour tea in tall clear glasses until 3/4 of the way full and add sugar to taste.
7. Add spoonfuls of cheese until glasses are topped off.

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

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Special Tools (optional)

• tea kettle
• heat-safe pitcher 
• hand blender 
• tall clear glasses

Ingredients

for cheese:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces cream cheese powder
• 1/3 cup whipped cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons condensed milk
• 1 pinch sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

for tea:

• tea (as preferred: earl grey, green tea, matcha, oolong, etc.)
• sugar (to taste)

Directions

1.  First, prepare the cheese. In a large bowl; mix the milk, cream cheese, and cream cheese powder with a hand blender (or a fork) until completely even.
2. Add condensed milk, whipped cream, and salt into the mix until medium foamy peaks are formed.
3. Cover the cheese foam with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. While the cheese is chilling, make your tea.  Boil water in a tea kettle or pot.  Then, pour boiled water in a heat-safe pitcher and steep your tea to your preferred strength.
5. Put tea in the refrigerator until chilled. (optional)
6. Pour tea in tall clear glasses until 3/4 of the way full and add sugar to taste.
7. Add spoonfuls of cheese until glasses are topped off.
8. Enjoy!