MATSUThe short answer: MATSU supplies cafés, specialty coffee houses and hotel F&B across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the wider GCC, producer-direct from Japan.
- Eight grades, the full ladder — pricing public, no quote round-trip. Shipping is added on top and shown separately
- Minimum 1 kg per grade; volume discounts from 5 kg; partnership terms at 10 kg+
- Ships by air direct from Japan: typically 7–10 days door-to-door by tracked EMS
- Start with the $99 Tasting Kit — three flagship grades, credited to your first order
What Gulf buyers ask first
The inquiries MATSU receives from the Gulf — Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates — tend to open with the same three questions, so here they are, answered up front:
- Does the colour survive ice and milk? In the latte tier, yes — these grades are selected for exactly that job. Grey iced matcha is a grade problem, not a matcha problem.
- What is the real minimum? 1 kg per grade. No container quantities, no distributor account.
- How long door-to-door? Typically 7–10 days, tracked EMS direct from Japan.
The specialty coffee scene in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Kuwait City has made iced matcha a permanent menu line, not a trend item. What most menus are missing is not demand — it is a supply line where the buyer knows which harvest and which grower is in the tin.
Grades for iced menus and hotel service
| Program | Tier | Per-cup economics (2 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Iced matcha lattes, high-volume café menus | Latte tier — colour-stable over ice and milk | from ASK per drink |
| Signature drinks, matcha-forward concepts | Blend and single-origin mid-tier | ≈ ASK–ASK per drink |
| Hotel tea service, fine dining, majlis service | Ceremonial tier from Uji and Izumo | up to ASK per serving |
At 2 g per drink, a kilogram pours roughly 500 lattes. The grade diagnostic narrows eight grades to a shortlist in four questions; full pricing is public on the grades page.
Heat, freshness, and transit
Two facts matter more in the Gulf than anywhere else we ship. First, matcha travels from Japan by air, not sea — typically 7–10 days door-to-door, sealed in aluminium, never sitting in a hot container for weeks. Second, storage on arrival decides more than transit ever will: cool, dry, away from light, and refrigerated once opened. With a 12-month unopened shelf life, a quarterly reorder rhythm keeps a café inside the freshness window year-round, including a build-up order ahead of Ramadan and the winter high season.
Paperwork, honestly
Every shipment carries a commercial invoice, a packing list, and its lot code — UJI-26-1F reads as region, harvest year, first flush, grower batch. A certificate of analysis is available on request — tell us which parameters you need and we agree them before the lot ships. We do not hold halal certification, and we would rather tell you that plainly on this page than in a disappointing email later. What we offer instead is the actual lot, in your cup, before you commit — our reasoning is on the quality page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for Gulf buyers?
1 kg per grade. Volume discounts begin at 5 kg, and partnership terms apply from 10 kg. A single 1 kg order is a normal way to start a program.
How long does shipping take to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait?
Allow typically 7–10 days from cleared payment to delivery, tracked EMS direct from Japan. For a first stocking order, plan 7–10 days end-to-end and order ahead of seasonal peaks.
Is MATSU matcha halal-certified?
We do not currently hold halal certification, and we won't claim otherwise. What we can say factually: matcha is a single ingredient — stone-ground shaded tea leaves, nothing added, nothing processed alongside it in the cup — and every lot code traces to grower and harvest. If certification is a hard requirement for your program, we are honest that we cannot meet it today.
Which grades hold up in iced drinks?
The latte tier is built for milk and ice: the colour stays green rather than grey, and the umami reads through sweetness. Signature iced menus often step up one tier. The $99 Tasting Kit exists so you can test all three flagship grades in your own recipes before deciding.
How does matcha handle Gulf heat in transit and storage?
Matcha ships from Japan in sealed aluminium with a 12-month unopened shelf life, by air rather than sea. On arrival, store it cool, dry, and away from light; once a pack is opened, refrigeration preserves colour and aroma. A quarterly reorder rhythm keeps stock inside its freshness window.
Do you provide a COA or lab documents?
Yes — a certificate of analysis is available on request. Tell us which parameters your import desk needs and we will agree them before the lot ships. We still lead with tasting: every shipment carries a commercial invoice, a packing list, and a lot code (e.g. UJI-26-1F) tracing to region, harvest year, flush, and grower batch, and the grade in your cup is the thing paperwork is trying to approximate.