China is the world's biggest tea producer and consumer, consuming 36-percent of the world's tea every year. Being a drink with millenias of history behind it, one might think there's not much more that could be done with tea. But, as CGTN's Yang Chengxi reports, a new take on an old tradition is all the rage these days in China.

Bubble tea. It's a novelty in most countries, but it's a huge thing in China. See, the whole trend started in the Taiwan region back in the 1980s, where people first made these bubbles with tapioca and brown sugar. Mix it with milk, and the next thing you know, the drink has taken Asia by storm. What started from these bubble teas has now become a 13 billion dollar industry, with much greater variety to choose from.

YANG CHENGXI SHANGHAI "This shop in downtown Shanghai sells up to 12 hundred cups of tea drinks a day."

Heytea started in 2012 and now has close to 200 stores in the country. It's one of the success stories of new tea drink brands in recent years. Heytea made its name by popularizing a new star product.

HUO WEI, SENIOR MEDIA & PR DIRECTOR HEYTEA "We have created a new type of tea called Cheezo-tea. We have put very thick cheese foam on top of brewed teas. That will offer the drinkers a rich taste of the tea."

People wait in line for hours to get these cheese foam-covered teas. While this is once again proof that cheese is so often the foundation of good food, experts say this success case reveals a new battleground for tea drink brands to attract customers.

YANG CHENGXI SHANGHAI "There's another factor that helps drinks become popular - social media."

If there's one thing we know about millennials: they post their favorite food and drinks.

HUO WEI, SENIOR MEDIA & PR DIRECTOR HEYTEA "We try to introduce the inspiration and our design sense into the brand and to our consumers, the young people. We try to have them love not only the cups they buy on their hands but also the brand of Heytea."

The competition has become super-heated. Many more brands are trying to design their star product. Some add brown sugar to the milk tea, some sell drinks with bread; every other brand is trying to create the next internet sensation. Heytea rolls out about four new drinks every month, now focusing more on fresh fruit.

At China's beverage industry expos, you'll find ambitious business people trying to get a piece of the cheese foam. Henry Shao started a brand called Sanam this year.

HENRI SHAO, FOUNDER SANAM "What we are trying to do is that we only use whole leaf, the high-end quality leaf. Seasonal fruit is one very big hit. If someone put some seasonal fruit on the menu, that will instantly be the best seller."

His game plan? Using a kind of bubble not made with tapioca but with fresh juice and wheat flour.

HENRI SHAO, FOUNDER SANAM "Especially during 2018 and 2019, customers pay more money, extra money just to experience what is possible for the creativity-wise about a drink."

At the end of the day, it's all about bringing a good cup of tea to the table. YCX, CGTN, Shanghai.