What Is Cheese Foam? – And How to Make It

If you’re one to follow trends, we’re sure you must have heard about cheese tea. Cheese tea? Really? Sounds strange, right? But those of you who have tried it know for sure how delicious it is!

A popular drink in East China that originated in Taiwan, cheese tea is made by topping milk or bubble tea with “cheese foam”.

By the name of it, we know it sounds rather unappetizing. But as it turns out, it tastes great as a topping for milk teas and other similar beverages and has made its way into the US as well.

So, what is cheese foam? Cheese foam is made by mixing cream cheese with whipping cream, milk, sugar, and salt until it turns frothy, which is then used as a topping for your favorite beverages, particularly milk teas.

Read on to find out more about cheese foam, how to make it at home, and how to enjoy its creamy flavor in some delicious cheese tea!

What Is Cheese Foam?

Also called milk foam, milk mustache, milk cap, and cheese cap in various tea shops around the world, cheese foam is made using cream cheese and not some savory or funky-smelling cheese like blue cheese.

It has a rich flavor similar to cheesecake, which when topped onto tea makes it creamy and adds a slight tang to the drink without overpowering the other flavors.

Cheese foam is not meant to be eaten as is (unless you want to of course) and is made specifically to be enjoyed with a drink.

You can either top your drink with some cheese foam and enjoy a bit of the foam with every sip you take, or you can shake and stir it all together to make the whole drink super creamy and cheesy.

Although cheese foam is usually enjoyed with cold milk teas, you can play around with the kind of drink you pair it with.

You can pair your cheese foam with some boba milk tea, jasmine green tea, or enjoy it with your favorite fruit milk tea.

You can also use it on top of black coffee or try it with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Basically, the sky’s the limit and whatever hits your taste buds, works!

Cheese foam is made using a few basic ingredients but you can make variations and add in flavors of your choice such as vanilla extract, rosewater, sifted matcha, orange blossom water, or cocoa powder, to name a few.

Cheese Foam Tea

Some people enjoy their tea with a splash of milk and a little honey, while others like theirs with cream and sugar. Then there are people who love their favorite drink with some cheese!

Contrary to what might conjure in your mind at the mere mention of it, cheese tea does not even vaguely resemble a hot cup of tea topped with grated cheddar or mozzarella, canned cheese, or curdling fondue. 

Cheese tea looks and tastes nothing like that, and in fact, is much closer to a cheesecake-flavored milkshake in its taste and consistency. Yum!

It originated in Taiwan before making its way through Asia and reaching the US, where it began as tea topped with some cheese powder. Over time, it evolved into a thick layer of creamy foam that we know and love today.

Cheese foam tea has developed a cult following throughout the country and its popularity is growing steadily with more and more tea shops now serving this delicious creamy tea.

Some common names for cheese tea are cheese foam tea, cheese mousse, cheese cap tea, and salty mousse. It is generally served cold and, depending on where you get your tea from, the cheese foam may either be sweet or salty.

You will mostly find cheese foam teas made with traditional green tea, black tea, Earl Grey, oolong, matcha, and a few others – basically any traditional dark to medium-grade tea. 

Cheese Foam Recipe

Even though many tea shops in the US are selling absolutely delicious cheese foam tea, sometimes you just gotta head to the kitchen and make it yourself!

For times like these, here is a simple recipe for you to follow to make the best cheese foam tea that can easily rival your favorite café-bought one.

To enjoy cheese foam, you first need to start with some tea since you’ll need something to top the cheese foam with.

For a nice cup of jasmine green boba tea, steep a handful of jasmine green tea leaves in some hot water and add some sugar and a bit of salt. Let it cook for a while.

Next, start cooking the boba in a separate pot of boiling water. The total cooking time depends on the boba you are using, therefore, refer to the package instructions. 

Cooked boba will be translucent throughout and that’s how you will know that it is cooked through. If you’re not sure, you can cut or bite into the boba. If the center is chalky, it needs to be cooked for a while longer.

Once ready, season the boba with a little brown sugar and salt and move on to making the star of the show: cheese foam.

Making cheese foam topping is super fun and effortless, quite like making iced dalgona coffee that went viral a while back. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz cream cheese
• 3 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

1. Let the cream cheese sit outside the fridge for a while till it reaches room temperature since it is easier to mix when it is soft and creamy.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and salt in a bowl, making sure to get rid of any lumps.
3. Gradually pour the milk into the mixture and continue whisking.
4. Whisk the batter until it turns foamy and set it aside.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whipping cream until medium peaks start to form.
6. Mix the whipping cream into the cheese batter and whisk until foamy.
7. The final consistency should be light, frothy, and almost pourable so that it is easier to sip and the cheese foam sits on top of your tea without sinking into it.
8. For assembly, gently spoon it out on your cup of delicious tea and enjoy!

Alternative Method

1. Mix together the evaporated milk and condensed milk and freeze it for around 25 minutes.
2. When you start seeing crystallized layers on the sides of the mixture, it is ready to whisk.
3. Add the cream cheese into the chilled milk mixture and whisk until the volume doubles and the texture turns airy.
4. When ready, add the salt to the foam and adjust it according to your taste.
5. Serve it immediately by topping it over your favorite tea.

Cream Cheese Substitutes

Well, considering that it is called “cheese” foam, substituting cream cheese with anything else won’t really give you the desired result.

Regardless, for times when you want to make cheese foam tea and do not have any cream cheese on hand, you can use sour cream instead.

You can follow the exact same recipe for cheese foam using cream cheese and simply replace it with sour cream.

However, we recommend whipping the sour cream before mixing it with anything else to give it a slightly thicker texture. Also, since sour cream is runnier than cream cheese, be mindful of how much milk or water you add to the mixture.

The final texture of the “sour cream foam” will be thinner than cheese foam, making it relatively easier to mix into the tea. It will also not be as rich as the original cheese foam since it contains less fat.

Another thing to note is that since sour cream is a lot tangier than cream cheese, it might be a good idea to add an extra spoonful of sugar to the mix to balance out the flavor, or you might risk your tea turning tangy.

Related Questions

Now that you’re up to speed with this delicious trend, here are a few additional questions we thought you might have regarding cheese foam!

What’s the Best Way to Store Cheese Foam?

If you do not plan on using the cheese foam immediately after you make it, you can keep it in the refrigerator where it can last for around 3-5 days.

When you are about to use it, take it out of the fridge and whisk it thoroughly. This will combine the split fats and water together to ensure that the cheese foam has the right consistency and stays afloat on top of your drink.

Can You Serve Cheese Foam Over Hot Drinks?

Although there is no rule over the type of drink you can serve cheese foam with, it is generally served with iced drinks since it tends to quickly melt and mix in hot beverages.

What Is Milk Foam Tea?

Milk foam and cheese foam look very similar, making it difficult to distinguish between the two, but they are two very different things.

Both milk foam tea and cheese foam tea have a distinctive layer of foam on the top. However, milk foam tea simply contains frothed milk on top while cheese foam is made using cream cheese.

When it comes to flavor, cheese foam tastes similar to a cheesecake-flavored milkshake, whereas milk foam tea tastes more like a simple tea latte.

Also, since milk foam tea contains fewer ingredients than cheese tea, it is not as rich and has fewer calories.

Is There a Vegan Version of Cheese Tea?

Due to its high dairy content, traditional cheese tea is off-limits for vegans and lactose-intolerant individuals. But that doesn’t mean they don’t get to enjoy it!

You can either check out your favorite vegan café to see if they make a dairy-free version of this popular drink, or make your very own vegan-friendly cheese tea at home with a few simple ingredient changes and adjustments.

You can swap all the main ingredients with coconut milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup, or look into plant-based versions of dairy items that a lot of companies are now producing. 

You can even use plant-based cream cheese, along with plant-based milk, for a taste similar to the real thing.

How Long Can You Store Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea, as is with a lot of other foods and beverages, will taste best fresh. However, you can keep fresh bubble tea in the refrigerator where it will remain good for around 24 hours, but try to consume it before a full day has passed.

If you are refrigerating bubble tea with the tapioca pearls already mixed into it, keep in mind that the tapioca pearls will also change in taste and texture in the refrigerator over time.

Therefore, it is best to store the tea without the tapioca pearls since they don’t last as long in the fridge as the rest of the bubble tea.

If you have already mixed the pearls into the tea, you can drain them out and store the tea part of the bubble tea in the fridge.

Are Bubble Tea and Boba Tea the Same?

If you have heard the terms bubble tea and boba tea, and have been confused about the difference between the two, you are not alone.

Well, bubble tea and boba tea are the same things and there really isn’t a difference at all. The name that you prefer to use is based mostly on the region that you live in.

When people say “boba”, they are mostly referring to the cute little round pearls at the bottom of bubble tea. They are made out of tapioca starch and are also called “bubbles” or “tapioca pearls”.

In addition to bubble tea and boba tea, the popular drink is also referred to as milk tea, pearl milk tea, and tapioca tea. However, bubble tea and boba tea are the most commonly used names.

What Are the Most Popular Flavors of Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is a popular drink available in a dizzying number of variations and flavors. It is made using a few basic ingredients such as brewed tea, milk, and tapioca pearls, and can take on any flavor you like.

Some classic types of bubble tea include milk tea, Thai tea, taro bubble tea, and fruit tea. You can top any of these with cheese foam and turn it into delicious cheese tea!

While the base ingredients – the type of tea, milk, and sweetener – used in the tea form its base, the true flavor comes out by adding your choice of flavorings in the form of syrups or powders.

Similar to tea and coffee houses, bubble tea shops are also stocked with a variety of flavored syrups that are used to make the bubble tea fun and unique.

Some popular fruit-flavored syrups include honeydew, mango, lychee, passionfruit, peach, plum, strawberry, coconut, and watermelon.

For a less fruity option, you may opt for almond, coffee, ginger, caramel, pudding, chocolate, mocha, and rose.

You may also add fresh fruit, cookie crumbs, ice cream, and of course, the extremely delicious cheese foam to transform your regular boba tea into something extraordinary!

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