from family meals to misty mountains

In our Vietnamese American home in Orange County, everything revolved around food. Birthdays meant phở or bún bò Huế. Thanksgiving was turkey and egg rolls. Every meal ended the same way, with tea.

One day, the tea was different. Not the usual box from the pantry, but loose leaves someone had brought back from Vietnam. That cup pulled us back to the misty Central Highlands, where part of our family still lives. Our aunt grows durian there. Like most of Vietnam, life revolves around what you grow, what you cook, and who you share it with.

We went back, not just to visit, but to sit for meals, walk the tea fields, and get to know the people behind the leaves. What began as a return became an ongoing partnership.

Image: In Vietnam's misty volcanic highlands, where our partners live and work the land. This is where Misty Lava begins.

the world’s first oolong matcha

Matcha traditionally comes from shaded green tea. In Vietnam's Central Highlands, farmers took a different path. They used creamy oolong leaves, shaded them like matcha, then milled them with the same care.

The first taste told us it was special. Smooth, complex, unlike anything we'd had. That's how Misty Lava started, from curiosity and a belief that great tea brings people together.