Litsea cubeba, commonly called May Chang, is a small tree that grows up to 12 meters in height in mountainous regions.It belongs to the Lauraceae family, along with the cinnamon tree, laurel or sweet bay, rosewood, and ravintsara. It has

simple, alternate, evergreen leaves. The fruits are shaped like small berries, with a fleshy mesocarp and thin pericarp, and are harvested between July and September. They are distilled fresh for an essential oil that is intensely lemony, herbaceous, and fruity. Native to Southeast Asia, it grows wild in the southern portion the country, but is also grown successfully in the center and east. 

Litsea cubeba, little known in the West, is very popular in Asia. The plant's roots and branches are used in traditional Vietnam medicine. in fact, "cubeba" was borrowed from the pepper plant Piper cubeba. The common name of "mountain pepper" was also inspired by the shape of the Litsea cubeba fruit.