Health Benefits of Cheese Tea/Cheese tea is the name for cold tea (usually green or black tea, with or without milk) topped with a foamy layer of milk and cream cheese and sprinkled with salt. The drink is sweet, like boba, but has a savory finish. Using a straw is prohibitive to get enough of that tangy cream overlay, so the method of sipping it from the top of the cup at a 40- to 45-degree angle is integral to enjoying cheese tea. Shops that specialize in cheese tea, like international franchises Happy Lemon and Gong Cha as well as independent shops like Step in San Francisco, Little Fluffy Head in Los Angeles, and Motto in Pasadena, supply a lid, not unlike a coffee lid, that circulates just the right amount of air for sipping and shields the drinker from a foam mustache.
Are you one of those people who think that the idea of cheese tea is unappetizing? If you are, then you will be surprised to know that this cupful of art has already swayed people around the world. While this tea is not as huge as bubble tea, it is certainly a beverage you could try.
What is Cheese Tea?
Cheese tea or naigai cha is a beverage made with green tea or black tea, topped with a generous layer of milk and cream cheese. Tea makers generally sprinkle salt to give this sweet-tasting beverage a savory touch.
There is a peculiar way to drink this tea. Straw lovers may frown upon knowing this but the only way to enjoy this tea is to tilt the cup at a 40-degree angle and then take a sip. The science behind this is that you get the perfect taste of cheese and tea in every sip. (By the way, environmentalists are giving this tea a huge shoutout. And if you are guessing it’s for making straws redundant, you are absolutely right!)
History of Cheese Tea
Cheese tea dates back to 2010 where it emerged as one of the popular beverages at the night markets in Taiwan. Vendors used powdered cheese, whipping cream, salt, and milk to whip up a thick, yet fluffy foam that topped a normal cup of tea.
Shops such as Heytea (formerly Royaltea) and Chizu Drink were among the pioneers in serving up this extraordinary tea in Asia. Many of these tea shops use secret recipes to create their cream cheese topping. Some use cheese from Australia or New Zealand while others source their ingredients from local producers. These tea shops experimented with using fresh cheese and different types of cream cheese to create the best flavor. As word got out, people began to form long lines just to get a taste of the cheese tea and a new trendy sensation was born.
The drink has become wildly popular in Asia and has drummed up interest in the United States and Europe. Kirin, a Japanese beverage company, has even developed plans to create bottled cheese tea.
Last year in 2018, the beverage was predicted to become as popular as Boba. While the reality falls short of those predictions, cheese tea does continue to become more and more popular as people get over the name and more cheese tea shops pop up.
Today, you don’t have to go to Hong Kong or Shanghai to taste this new tea trend. Tea shops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York have begun offering the concoction to adventurous tea drinkers.
Who Cupped the Cheese?
Cheese tea traces its origins to Taiwan, where the night market stands came up with this distinctive brew in 2010. Vendors used powdered cheese as opposed to fresh cheese, along with other ingredients to create a tasty cup of tea. It was in 2012 that HeyTea, a well-known tea salon in China, caught on to this topping and remodeled it into a trendy, premium beverage. They wanted to bring to the table an unconventional beverage that could, perhaps, replace the mainstream milk/water-based beverages. The strategy proved successful as people loved naigai cha very much. Eventually, the craze for it grew so much that people were ready to wait for hours to have the perfect Instagram selfie with the teacup and a cheesy mustache on their lips. They vividly describe it as an experience that evolves with every sip!
Today, naigai cha finds itself in most Asian countries like Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It is also found in many tea shops in the United States and the United Kingdom.
NUTRITION
- Calories: 299kcal
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Protein : 4gFat : 23g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Cholesterol : 37mg
- Sodium : 506mg
- Potassium : 46mg
- Sugar: 18g
- Vitamin A: 448IU
- Calcium : 33mgIron : 1mg
- Allergy: Milk
These Nutritional Values have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration
How to Make?
Making cheese tea is very simple. You make a cup of green tea or any tea of your choice and top it with a layer of creamy foam. The topping looks dreamy with cream cheese, milk, whipping cream, and half-and-half put together.
Easy Cream Cheese Tea Recipe
- Course: Beverage
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Keyword: Cheese tea
- Appliance: Whisk
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk [rx]
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 2 glasses green tea cold, brewed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
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Pour the milk, half-and-half, and cream cheese into a bowl and mix them well with a whisk or a frother.
-
Once you get a smooth consistency without any lumps in this mixture, add salt and sugar to it.
-
Whisk all of these together slowly.
-
Now add the heavy whipping cream and whisk again for a smooth consistency. You want to make it creamy and thick. When it coats the back of your spoon, consider it perfect.
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Now use a large spoon and pour the cream cheese on your green tea. Sprinkle some green tea powder for more flavor and your cheese tea is ready!
You can get creative while making cheese tea in many ways like having black tea, oolong tea, or an earl grey tea base.
You could try adding different types of cheese to it for fun. If you are lactose-intolerant, then you can go ahead with vegan or lactose-free milk. Many people also add fruits like apple, pineapple, and berries to the tea for a fruit flavor.
Which Places Serve Cheese Tea?
If you want to try naigai cha with your friends or family, there are many international tea franchises like Gong Cha and Happy Lemon in the United States you could go to. Many fancy tea-houses also serve it, so you can look for a place nearby and plan a date with the cheese tea this weekend.
Is it Healthy?
Cheese tea does not outrightly spell healthy but there are some advantages to having it. Cheese is known to help improve gut health, lower the risk of diabetes, and help you maintain bone health. Green tea is an antioxidant-rich beverage that has protective effects against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the amount of sugar and calories in a single serving of this tea can affect your health if you drink it too often. It is best to have it as an occasional treat, rather than indulging in it every day. [rx] [rx]
Cheese tea may seem like a beverage made up of all your insecurities, thanks to all the calorie-loaded contents but remember, You Only Live Once (YOLO). So, go ahead and enjoy it!
Health Benefits
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main ingredient in cheese tea is tea.
- People have been reaping the benefits of tea for centuries, and decades of research support its health-promoting effects (rx).
- In particular, green tea is full of antioxidants called catechins. These compounds help reverse damage caused by free radicals, which are potentially harmful molecules that can cause cellular damage when levels become too high in your body (rx, rx,rx).
- One 2-week study in 32 people who drank 3 cups (700 ml) of either water or green tea daily found that those who drank green tea had nearly 30% more antioxidant activity in their skin (rx).
- Furthermore, black tea is rich in antioxidants called black tea polymerized polyphenols (BTPPs), which may help reduce blood sugar, high blood pressure, inflammation, and your risk of cancer (rx).
- Cheese tea also contains full-fat dairy in the form of cream cheese and whipped cream.
- Although saturated fat intake was once thought to cause heart disease, research has shown that there is not a strong link between the two (rx).
- In fact, full-fat dairy products like cream cheese have been linked to a reduced risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and heart disease (rx, rx, rx).
- One study in over 1,300 people observed that those who reported the highest intakes of full-fat dairy were about 50% less likely to be obese than those who reported the lowest intakes (rx).
Nevertheless, while the antioxidants and full-fat dairy in cheese tea might provide some health benefits, many of them may be counteracted by its high sugar content.
Downsides
Cheese tea also has some drawbacks to consider.
- Up to 75% of the world’s population may be lactose intolerant and need to avoid dairy products like cream cheese (rx).
- What’s more, cheese tea contains added sugar, although the amount varies significantly based on its ingredients and preparation method.
- Sugar has been linked to inflammation and many negative health outcomes, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers (rx, rx, rx, rx).
- It’s recommended that you limit added sugars to less than 10% of your calorie intake — and even further for optimal health (rx).
- In a 6-month study in 47 overweight adults, those who drank 4 cups (1 liter) of full-sugar soda daily had significantly more fat around their organs and in their livers and blood, compared to those who drank the same amount of water, diet soda, or skim milk daily (rx).
- Furthermore, given that most cheese tea packs both sugar and full-fat dairy, it’s high in calories. Excessive calorie intake can lead to weight gain.
- Moreover, some cheese teas may be highly refined and contain unnecessary additives.
- While some tea shops use freshly brewed tea, others may use sweetened tea concentrate that contains additives, such as food dyes. They may also use a powdered base to create the cream cheese topping instead of making it from whole ingredients. You should purchase cheese tea from shops you trust, or make it yourself using ingredients that you’re comfortable with.
Cheese tea contains antioxidants and full-fat dairy, both of which have been associated with several health benefits. However, it’s also high in calories and sugar and may contain additives like food dyes.
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