Current Food Trend: A beverage that’s popular in tea/coffee shops in Asia. It’s a tea drink topped with a mild cheese flavored whipped topping. Think cheese cake.
Most people might agree that the phrase “Cheese Tea” is the most unappealing name used for a food craze.
When I first heard of the trend, I thought it was dehydrated cheese steeped in water. It is not.
As bad as the name sounds, the ingredients are simple and straightforward. Nothing weird or exotic. It wasn’t as offensive once I found out what goes in it and how it’s made.
The tea beverage itself is not cheese flavored. Whipped cream flavored with cream cheese is used as a topping over the beverage. Hence it’s name.
Still, “Cheese Tea” is now first on my list of “what not to name food and beverage items”. The word Cronut has been demoted to second.
What is it?
- The main ingredients are cream cheese, heavy cream and sugar. The drink is called “cheese tea” since the ingredients above are whipped together then topped over a tea beverage.
How is it made?
- The heavy cream and sugar is whipped up to foam, and softened cream cheese is folded in. This mixture is piped or ladled over a flavored tea beverage.
What is the flavor profile?
- Sweet and Salty – possibly the two best combined flavors in the food world.
There are no tea shops in Richmond that sell Cheese Tea. Update: Gigi Tea Shop in the VCU area has Cheese Topping available. Thanks for the tip Paige! (IG: @feyapl) I was intrigued about the concept and made my own. The recipe sounded delicious but would I like whipped cream that mildly tastes like plain cheesecake on top of tea?
My answer is yes and no.
I made two berry flavored teas and hot chocolate.
The whipped cream cheese topping worked well with hot chocolate. It was sweet and salty. Plus the consistency of hot chocolate was thicker than tea. I didn’t like the whipped cream cheese over tea at all but I blame that on my lack of planning.
On hindsight, I should’ve mixed the berry teas in a blender with crushed ice, milk/cream, and sugar. Instead, I topped the whipped cream cheese topping over plain tea. I knew right away my issue was not the flavor but the combined consistency of thin liquid and foamy whipped cream.
Here’s a history of this trendy drink on Eater.com. Want opinions or another recipe about this popular drink? try Tyler Williams “We Tried Instagram Cheese Tea” or Sauce Stache’ “How to make Cheese Tea – What is Cheese Tea?”
Cheese Tea Recipe - food trend experiment
Ingredients
- Whipped Cream Cheese Topping
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 cup cream
For beverage:
- Tea of choice
- Hot chocolate
- whatever drink your heart desires
Instructions
- whip cheese and sugar, scrape sides occasionally until all the sugar is combined with cream cheese
- think you're done? nope. keep that whisk whipping
- whip the cream cheese and sugar for at least 10 minutes to consistency of softened butter - soft and smooth
- On a separate bowl, whip cream cheese until soft peaks form
- Fold cream cheese gently in whipped cream
- Top over beverage with spoon or ladle.
- If piping, start from edge of mug/cup or glass
Notes
Like this post? try Easy Ube Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Icing
Gigi Tea on West Broad st across from Lowe’s has cheese tea here in Richmond! I actually found your blog post after I ordered one and wanted to know what was in it!
Paige!!! Thanks for the tip! I’ll surely check it out.
How long does the cream cheese mixture last?
Hi Kevin, the cream cheese mixture will last about 3 days in the refrigerator. Store cream cheese mixture in a tight lid container. Hope that helps!