“As first-generation Vietnamese-Americans and daughters of refugees, food is not just a love language for us, it’s a way for us to re-engage with our identities as women of color and ‘third culture,’” says Kim Pham, who with her sister founded Omsom, which creates bold, complex sauces in collaboration with chefs on the cutting edge of Asian cuisine.

Sauces like the insanely aromatic Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ Sauce from chef Jimmy Ly of Manhattan’s Madame Vo.

“Mama Pham is the reason we’re here today. Every night, she worked hard to cook a three-course Vietnamese dinner for our family. And for our intergenerational, cross-cultural family, this was her love language to us.”

Today, the sisters cook together weekly and continue to reclaim the complexity, integrity and nuances of Asian cuisines and communities.

“Our relationship—as co-founders, as sisters and as friends—continues to grow and evolve everyday. But at the heart of it all is a deep and profound love and respect for one another.”

See here for more from the Milk Street Store.

Photos: Courtesy of Omsom and Brianna Coleman