Meet Misty Lava
The world’s first oolong matcha
one of the most unique matcha
We found it in the last place we expected, a tea expo in Las Vegas, and we’ve been thinking about it ever since. Matcha has taken over the world, and honestly? We get it. But this one was different.
Our Visit at the World Tea Expo
Earlier this year, our team went to the World Tea Expo to go deep on tea. Matcha was everywhere, which tracked. It’s traveled from Japanese tea fields to just about every cup, everywhere, and it isn’t slowing down. We spent the trip talking to growers and vendors, tasting a lot, and asking even more questions.
We came home knowing more than we did and with something we can’t wait to pour for you.
Why matcha, though?
It’s easy to call it a trend. It isn’t, or not only. Matcha has centuries of ritual and care behind it. When something is that good and that rooted, the world catches on eventually. This was its turn.
And why does it cost what it does?
Ever wonder? Here’s the short version. The plants are shaded for weeks before harvest. The best leaves are picked by hand. Then they’re ground slowly, between stone, into the green powder you know. Every cup holds a lot of time and care in a small amount of powder. Once you’ve seen the work, you don’t look at a matcha the same way. We don’t.
Then we found Misty Lava
Our best discovery of the trip was a tea we’d never had before: Misty Lava, the world’s first oolong matcha. We got to meet the owners and hear where it comes from. The first sip was a fragrance we didn’t have a word for. Different. Ours, now.
Here’s the idea. Matcha is traditionally made from shaded green tea. In Vietnam’s Central Highlands, a few farmers tried it another way, taking creamy oolong cultivars, shading them like matcha, then stone-milling them with the same care. The result is oolong matcha: the focus you want from matcha, with the deeper, rounder note of oolong underneath.
It grows between mountain mist and old volcanic soil. The mist softens the sun and keeps the leaves tender. The volcanic earth gives it body. It’s shade-grown for about three weeks, hand-picked, and milled fresh. Smooth, a little sweet on its own, and unlike anything else on our menu.
Why we share it now
Japanese matcha has been hard to come by lately. Instead of treating that as a problem, we’re treating it as a chance to tell a different story, a tea from Vietnam’s highlands, made by small family farms, that stands on its own. We think it’s worth your attention.
It’s one of our favorites for a reason. Come find out why. Order a Misty Lava or just come in and ask. We love talking about this one.
Want the long version of where it grows? Misty Lava wrote it up: the terroir of our teas. Check it out here.