Say cheese to the latest tea drinking trend

It's being described as the next big food trend and Auckland can now say hello to cheese tea: brewed tea with frothy, whipped cream cheese on top.

For those who think cheese and tea are highly incompatible, Rounny Lin, co-founder of Fryday Cafe, says one sip and sceptics will be convinced otherwise.

Lin said cheese tea is the latest food trend and it is taking the world by storm.

"It's the biggest drink fad in Taiwan and Asia now, and the pairing of tea and cheese is tried and tested to perfection," said Lin, 38.

"If you love cheese and also love drinking tea, then you will love the sweet and salty mixture of the two."

Rounny Lin with their iced tea with cheese drink. Photo / Dean Purcell

Fryday, a new cafe on Dominion Rd serving funky Taiwanese cuisine and desserts, is believed to be the first Auckland outlet serving cheese tea.

"We think it will be a hit in New Zealand too because the people here like cheese," Lin said.

The cheese tea fad started in Taiwan and China, where some cheese tea shops command queues of more than 70 people long.

Its popularity spread to cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and to the USA through bubble tea chains such as Happy Lemon and Little Fluffy Head.

The Indpendent in the UK reported that a cheese tea invasion on British soil poses a threat to teatime, one of Britain's longest standing traditions.

Cartoon / Rod Emmerson

At Fryday, customers can buy different flavours of the tea including green tea or oolong tea with salted cheese.

Conde Nast Traveler describes the tea as "macchiato-like" in form.

Powdered forms of cheese were originally used, but baristas — including those at Fryday — are using fresh cream cheese to achieve a richer flavour and smoother topping.

The process begins by beating a cream cheese base with evaporated milk until it begins to froth, and then pouring it over the ice tea beverage as a fluffy topping.

"Cream on its own is a bit heavy, but adding the cheese makes it lighter and adds flavour," said Lin.

The beverage is already a Instagram hit, with thousands of cheese-tea drinkers sharing their experiences and favourites on the social media platform.