Cheese Foam Tea

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 10 mins
• 🍳 Cook time: 1 hr
• 🍽️ Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (12g) loose-leaf black tea, or 4 tea bags
• Coarse raw sugar, such as demerara, to taste
• 1 cup (180g) dried black tapioca pearls (optional)
• 1 cup (200g) coarse raw sugar, such as demerara (for tapioca pearls)
• 6 tablespoons (90ml) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (30g) full-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons (30g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Directions

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 7 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Turn off heat, add tea, cover, and let stand until water turns amber red, about 5 minutes. Strain tea into a heatproof pitcher. Whisk in raw sugar to taste, cover, and refrigerate until cold.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add tapioca pearls and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the pearls float and turn completely brown with no white starchy bits in the center. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat raw sugar and 1 cup water over low heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat, cover simple syrup, and set aside. Once tapioca pearls are ready, drain pearls through a fine-mesh strainer, then add to pot with simple syrup. Cover and keep warm.
4. In a small bowl, combine milk and cream cheese. Blend the cream cheese into the milk until no lumps remain.
5. In a medium bowl, combine cream, granulated sugar, and salt, and beat at medium speed until frothy and sugar is fully dissolved, about 30 seconds. Beat in cream cheese mixture until light and airy like sea foam, about 1 minute.
6. To serve, divide tapioca pearls (if using) between chilled tall glasses, add ice (if desired), and pour in chilled black tea. Top each glass with a couple dollops of cheese foam. Serve immediately.