Thopezay is a staple ingredient in Mien cuisine and a large part of the culture. Grandma Yien Choy learned to make thopezay high in the mountains of Asia - the only place where you would find thopezay. Grandma Yien Choy along with many other Mien families immigrated to the US in the late 1970s. This is also the first time thopezay was brought to America.

 

My grandma's thopezay was loved and sought after by many in the community. I worked alongside her for many years learning to perfect her recipe and master her special technique. There is no other fermented soybeans in the world like Grandma Yien Choy’s. The same love she bestowed upon others is the same love that makes up the rich flavors of her thopezay. I am honored to share my grandma’s thopezay with the world and carry on her legacy.