但現(xiàn)在,，事情發(fā)生了戲劇性的變化……

According to a 2014 article in the Daily Beast, America sent less than 2,000 metric tonnes of cheese to China in 2009. By 2013, this had shot up to 11,000 metric tonnes. This changing palate is reflected in other ways too, most notably the raging trend that has spread across China over the past few years: cheese tea!

近年來，隨著像喜茶（ Heytea）,、皇茶（ Royaltea）和天御皇茶（Regiustea）等奶茶品牌的流行,，芝士奶茶進入到中國人的視野之中,。

It originated in the street stalls of Taiwan in 2010 and has since spread to Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.

這種奶茶最早起源于2010年的臺灣街邊小店,，之后開始在大陸,、香港,、新加坡和馬來西亞等地流行起來,。

而且這些后起的奶茶店還對芝士奶茶進行了改良：

The original Taiwanese recipe used powdered cheese, but now cafes are going one step better and adding lashings of fresh cream cheese to the top of their beverages.

臺灣原先的配方是用芝士粉，但現(xiàn)在的飲品店更進一步,，在飲料頂部加上厚厚的一層新鮮奶油奶酪,。

lashings of：大量的

所以,，這是怎樣一種奶茶呢,？

These quirky-sounding concoctions incorporate fruit teas and green teas at the bottom with a thick layer of frothy cream cheese on top. In some iterations, the cream cheese layer is slightly sweet; in others, it is sprinkled with sea salt for a salty aftertaste.

這種聽起來極其古怪的混合飲料以水果茶和綠茶作為茶底,，然后在頂部加上厚厚的一層芝士奶蓋。有些做法會把芝士做的微甜,，而有的會撒上一點點海鹽，帶來咸咸的余味,。

concoction：混合；調和物

對于這樣的組合,，很多外國人一開始內心是拒絕的……

The notion of cheese and tea can be off-putting for the average person who cannot fathom how two unlikely bedfellows – fat and water – can form a harmonious companionship. If you are of this school of thought – you are not alone. I was one of these cautious disbelievers – that is, until I tried the cheese teas in question.

對一些人來說，芝士和茶的組合可能會有點倒胃口,，他們無法理解兩種完全不同的東西——脂肪和水怎么能融于一體,。不止你一個人這樣想。我也曾持有懷疑的態(tài)度,，直到我喝到了這種芝士奶茶,。

英國奢華旅行雜志《悅游》（Condé Nast Traveler ）的記者這樣描述自己的品茶感受：

The first sip is a mouthful of whipped cheese. It’s so rich, I feel a little ill. But when I swallow the tea and cheese together, it’s like drinking a refreshing tea milkshake. This pairing actually works—the salted cheese plays up the tea’s floral notes, and the tea, in turn, tastes smooth and creamy.

第一口喝到的是一嘴芝士霜,，那口味太濃郁了,，我有點受不了,。然后我把茶和芝士混在一起喝了一口，就感覺像在喝清新的茶味奶昔,。這個組合其實還不錯,，咸咸的芝士襯托出茶香，而茶的口感也更為絲滑醇厚,。

馬來西亞《星報》的記者則品嘗了幾種口味的芝士奶茶,，來順便學學如何用英語描述一款飲料：

The green tea cheese offers a thick layer of slightly-sweet cream cheese laced with light green tea flavours. It is a cold, satisfying drink that almost feels like an airy slice of cheese cake.

芝士綠茶有一層厚厚的帶著甜味的芝士，夾雜著淡淡的綠茶味,，嘗起來就像一塊柔軟的芝士蛋糕,，喝一口清涼、舒爽,。

The uji matcha, on the other hand, offers stronger green tea flavours juxtaposed against the rich, lush background of cream cheese. It is a rewarding drink that you will find yourself hankering after.

而宇治抹茶奶茶的茶香更濃，與醇厚,、濃郁的芝士形成對比,，喝完讓你久久無法忘懷,。

Both drinks deliver immediate pleasure – the richness of the cream cheese set against the tannic flavours of the teas.

兩款飲料中茶的微澀口感襯著芝士的醇厚，入口口味極佳,。

而且喝芝士奶茶還為朋友圈提供素材啊……

Another pleasant surprise when you drink cheese teas is the Instagram-worthy milk moustaches that form over your upper lips, as a result of the layer of cream cheese on top.

另一個驚喜是，由于頂部的芝士，你喝奶茶時會在嘴上留下一道“牛奶胡子”，可以拍張照上傳Instagram了,。

另外，關于芝士奶茶的喝法外國人也研究了一番,。

專業(yè)人士稱：

“You are encouraged to drink without straws. When you drink this way, you can feel two layers of taste – cheese followed by tea. If you drink it with a straw, you can mostly only taste the tea.”

“最好別用吸管喝。這樣喝的時候,，你會感覺到兩種不同的味道——先是芝士奶香,，后是茶香,。但如果你用吸管喝，你只能品嘗到茶香,?！?/p>

也有叛逆的寶寶偏要用吸管喝的,，國內英文月刊《That's》雜志的記者Jocelyn Richards便是如此，結果后悔不已,，這是她的心路歷程：

The first few sips bring pure, sweet, flowery tea. About halfway through, we start to taste a hint of the salty cheese. It’s subtle at first, and seems to complement the tea surprisingly well.

開頭幾口是純正帶著甜味的花茶香味，喝了一半,，開始嘗到一點點芝士咸味。最初口感很微妙,，與茶味互補的效果似乎出奇地好。

Toward the end of the drink, however, our sips begin to summon something sinister: thick, cloying globs of salty cheesy cream. The sensation is like taking a bag of movie theater popcorn and dumping the liquid butter straight into your mouth. Not good.

然而快喝完時，吸上來的東西就有些重口了：一團團又厚又倒胃口的咸味芝士奶霜,。那種感覺像是吃完一袋影院爆米花,，然后把液體黃油直接倒進你嘴里,。真糟糕,。

Next time we’ll follow the instructions and drink the cheesy top first with the tea.

下次我們會老老實實按照說明,，把茶和奶蓋一起喝。

據(jù)報道,，芝士奶茶現(xiàn)在甚至也開始在美國流行開了……