Japanese matcha for Iowa.

Who we supply in Iowa

Des Moines has built a solid independent cafe scene, and Iowa City and Ames bring university markets with the international student populations that drive boba demand. Alongside that, Iowa's substantial food manufacturing sector produces a steady stream of ingredient enquiries — bakery, confectionery, dairy, and supplement producers who need matcha powder as a component rather than as a menu item.

• Des Moines independents with established espresso programs.
• Iowa City and Ames boba shops, sharply seasonal around term dates.
• Food manufacturers and co-packers buying matcha as an ingredient.
• Grocery and co-op buyers looking for certified organic product.

Shipping to Iowa

Iowa is served through the Chicago interchange, with West Coast containers moving by intermodal rail and trucking west into the state. Des Moines handles domestic air freight, with international cargo arriving through Chicago.

• Ocean: a West Coast port, rail to Chicago, then truck into Iowa.
• Air: Chicago, with a short domestic leg into Des Moines or Cedar Rapids.
• Onward: the state's metros sit along I-80 and I-380, so one delivery route covers most of them.

Licensing in Iowa

Beyond the federal import requirements, food establishment and food processing plant licensing in Iowa runs through the state's inspections and licensing department, with some inspection delegated to local jurisdictions. Manufacturing operations face requirements well beyond a retail food license. Confirm your category before ordering.

• A cafe serving matcha and a manufacturer using it as an ingredient are licensed under quite different regimes.
• Ingredient buyers should expect to need specification and analysis documentation on file.

Buying matcha as an ingredient

A cafe buys matcha it will taste. A manufacturer buys matcha that has to behave the same way in every production run — consistent color after baking, consistent particle size for dispersion, consistent moisture, and documentation to match. Those are different products even when the tin looks identical.

In practice that means ingredient buyers should be talking about specification before they talk about grade. Tell us the application — is it going into a baked good where heat will shift the color, an ice cream base where fat carries the flavor differently, a supplement blend where particle size matters most — and we will send lots selected for the job along with the analysis you will want on file. It is a slower first conversation than a cafe's and a far more durable relationship afterwards.

Your first order, step by step

Start with up to two grades of your choice. Free sample kits are available for US businesses. Test them in your own recipes before choosing your first wholesale order.

• Tell us what you serve. Share your menu, milk, cup size, and expected volume.
• Taste with your team. Compare the samples in the drinks your customers order.
• Get a delivery quote. Confirm grade, quantity, and shipping to Des Moines. Wholesale orders ship from Japan.