When most people think of matcha, they think of Japan: vivid green powder, ritualistic whisking, and the carefully choreographed tea ceremony.
For centuries, Japan refined the techniques that define matcha as we know it today.
But matcha is not defined by geography alone.
In Vietnam’s Central Highlands, tea makers use the foundations of matcha production — shading, steaming, and ultra-fine milling — with premium oolong cultivars long grown in the region.
The result is Vietnamese matcha: familiar in form, distinct in flavor.
Still rare, this highland expression is vivid and smooth, with a creamier texture, gentler bitterness, and greater aromatic complexity shaped by the region’s volcanic terroir .
A Long Tea Heritage
Tea in Vietnam: Ancient Roots, Highland Transformation
Tea has been part of Vietnamese culture for thousands of years, particularly in the northern mountains, where ancient tea trees still grow and produce traditional Shan Tuyết, or snow mountain, tea.
The story of tea in Vietnam’s Central Highlands is more recent.
In the early 20th century, French colonial administrators conducted agricultural surveys across the region and recognized that its cool climate, elevation, and mineral-rich volcanic soil were well suited to tea cultivation.
By the 1920s, plantations had been established across the highlands to produce black tea for export to Europe.
At the time, the British Empire had already developed vast tea industries in India and Sri Lanka, supplying black tea throughout Europe.
Vietnam’s Central Highlands offered similar growing conditions and soon became part of this global tea economy. For decades, the region focused largely on black tea and other export-oriented styles.
The highlands were only beginning their transformation.
A New Chapter
The Rise of World-Class Oolong Tea in Vietnam
Beginning in the late 1980s, as Vietnam opened its economy, the country’s tea industry entered a new phase.
Producers introduced oolong cultivars, often with technical guidance from Taiwanese tea specialists. Many originated from Taiwanese oolong lineages and were gradually adapted to Vietnam’s highland conditions.
These cultivars proved exceptionally well suited to the Central Highlands. The elevation, cooler climate, and volcanic soil allow the plants to grow slowly, concentrating aroma and developing depth.
Over time, the region built a quiet reputation among tea professionals for beautifully aromatic oolongs that are floral, naturally sweet, and often creamy in body.
Vietnamese farmers adapted quickly. Cultivars evolved, processing improved, and a new generation of growers began pushing quality further.
From Experiment to Craft
Where Oolong Becomes Matcha
As farmers worked more closely with oolong cultivars, they noticed something unexpected. The same plants that produced aromatic oolong could also create remarkably smooth, expressive tea — and even matcha.
What began as experimentation became a deliberate question: what if matcha were not limited to traditional green tea cultivars?
Turning that idea into reality required precision. As demand grew, producers invested in specialized Japanese equipment for steaming, drying, and ultra-fine milling.
The process follows the same core principles:
Step 01
Shade
The tea plants are shaded before harvest to develop sweetness and richness.
Step 02
Steam
Freshly harvested leaves are steamed to preserve their vivid color.
Step 03
Refine
The leaves are carefully processed into delicate tencha.
Step 04
Mill
The finished tencha is slowly stone-milled into an ultra-fine powder.
The technique is familiar. The leaf is different.
Instead of cultivars developed for Japanese green tea, these matchas begin with premium oolong cultivars known for floral aromatics, creaminess, and layered fragrance.
Some producers are also exploring techniques rooted in Vietnamese tea traditions, including jasmine and other floral scenting, adding new dimensions without changing the foundation of matcha.
The Cultivar Difference
Why High-Mountain Oolong Cultivars Create a Different Matcha
Umami and Vibrancy
Japanese matcha cultivars were developed for deep umami, vivid color, and a distinctly vegetal character.
Aroma and Complexity
Oolong cultivars were developed to emphasize fragrance, softness, creaminess, and layered flavor.
Both come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis, but they were selected and cultivated for different characteristics.
With oolong matcha, oxidation is kept extremely low. The leaves are steamed and processed using the core techniques associated with matcha.
This preserves:
At the same time, the natural aromatic character of the oolong cultivar remains present. The result feels both familiar and distinct.
Matcha made from oolong cultivars often offers:
Instead of sharp vegetal intensity, the profile is rounder and may reveal floral notes or subtle honeyed sweetness.
From the Central Highlands
Misty Lava: Sourcing Directly from the Highlands
At Misty Lava, our goal is to highlight the distinctive character of Vietnam’s highland tea.
We source directly from small family farms in the Central Highlands, allowing us to work closely with the growers who cultivate these remarkable leaves.
Cool mountain air, drifting clouds, and ancient volcanic basalt soil shape the character of the tea.
These iron-rich red soils, formed from ancient lava flows, nourish the oolong cultivars used to make our matcha.
At higher elevations, the plants grow slowly, developing deeper aroma, natural sweetness, and a smooth, rounded body.
Low clouds frequently blanket the hills, softening the sunlight and protecting delicate buds.
Together with cooler temperatures and clean mountain air, these conditions produce tea with remarkable clarity and balance.
From Garden to Powder
Our Approach to Quality
Hand-Harvested
We select the top bud and two tender leaves, the most delicate and naturally sweet portion of the tea plant.
Shade-Grown
Our Ceremonial Matcha is shaded for approximately 21 days to develop sweetness, richness, and vibrant green color.
Carefully Steamed
Freshly harvested leaves are steamed to preserve their color and delicate aromatic character.
Stone-Milled
Finished tencha is slowly milled into a smooth, finely textured powder.
The Story Continues
A New Expression of Matcha
China holds matcha’s earliest history, while Japan refined the craft known today. Tea has always evolved as plants, people, and ideas moved across borders — and Vietnam’s highlands reveal what can happen when those traditions meet a new terroir.
Matcha made from oolong cultivars is not a replacement, but another expression of the same tea plant — shaped by Vietnam’s volcanic Central Highlands and only beginning to unfold.
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