Introduction:Heytea recently launched a new product, the 'Longjing Cheese Toffee', featuring its signature new topping 'Cheese Toffee' made by blending glutinous rice paste with whipped cheese. The production process requires continuous stirring for 7 minutes and is prone to burning at the bottom, leaving many staff members complaining of sore arms. This article takes an in-depth look at the much-talked-about topping’s recipe and preparation steps, and shares the real on-the-ground experiences of frontline employees, giving you an insight into the preparation challenges and technical details behind a cup of tea beverage.
The new tea beverage brand Heytea has recently introduced the 'Longjing Cheese Toffee' across its nationwide stores, combining the classic aroma of Longjing tea, a silky whipped cheese topping, and rich milk, while also debuting a brand-new topping — 'Cheese Toffee'. This innovative topping is made by heating and whipping a mixture of glutinous rice paste and whipped cheese, then combining it with cooked white glutinous rice to create a unique sticky, stringy texture. It has sparked heated discussions among consumers since its launch. However, the production process behind this seemingly delicious topping has left many store employees voicing their frustrations.
According to internal feedback, the making of 'Cheese Toffee' is a complicated process: first, the glutinous rice needs to be ground into a fine paste, then mixed with whipped cheese and heated, followed by continuous stirring over a low flame for7 minutesuntil it reaches a smooth, stringy consistency. Afterwards, cooked white glutinous rice is added to enhance the chewiness and satiety. This multi-step process not only demands precise heat control but also involves manual, constant stirring throughout, placing a significant physical burden on many staff members.
One employee posted on social media: 'Half an hour of my two-hour morning shift is spent just dealing with this toffee', 'I never thought making a drink could be this tiring', 'My arms are about to fall off', 'Seven minutes of non-stop circling — who can take it?'. These genuine responses show that while consumers enjoy a creamy tea beverage topping, the staff preparing it face high temperatures, frequent manual operations, and a high risk of mistakes.
It is understood that the high difficulty in making this topping mainly stems from two key factors: first,the recipe is more complex than previous toffee varieties— apart from the glutinous rice paste, it also requires precise control of the ratio between whipped cheese and rice paste; second, the final product must achieve a 'thick, stringy' texture, meaning the rice paste cannot be too thin and must be stirred to a porridge-like viscosity so that it forms the ideal silky structure after heating. However, such a texture also significantly increases stirring resistance, posing a major test to arm strength and endurance.
Even more challenging is that the entire heating and stirring process mustmaintain a low flame, i.e., slow cooking at a low temperature, to prevent the rice paste from quickly clumping or burning at the bottom due to excessive heat. Staff must stand by the induction cooker the whole time, stirring in consistent circles. If the speed slows down, the bottom is prone to burning due to uneven heating, causing the entire pot of ingredients to be scrapped and requiring re-preparation. One employee joked: 'You have no idea how hard it is to cook this toffee — every time it feels like walking a tightrope.' Especially during peak hours when staffing is short, one hand is busy controlling the whipping of the cheese while the other keeps a close eye on the stirring of the rice paste — there's simply no time to rest.
For consumers, the attractive appearance and rich taste of the 'Cheese Toffee' undoubtedly add a fresh twist to tea beverages; but for the store operation side, it’s a tough test of physical stamina and attention to detail. This topping not only pushes the boundaries of tea beverage innovation but also makes us rethink the complex processes and human effort behind 'a cup of drink'. From recipe design to actual execution, every step hides unknown details and care.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
