Mate is a drink made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant in hot water. The simplest method is to treat it like any other loose tea; steep it in hot water and then filter out the leaves before drinking.
Brewing Mate at Home
To enjoy mate in the traditional way, prepare it as outlined below. You will need leaves, cold water, and hot, but not boiling, water.
The tea is a popular alternative to other caffeinated drinks. To make it at home, you will need a gourd, a bombilla, and loose leaves. It can be customized with different flavorings. Choosing the right gourd and curing it enhances the taste. The tea comes in different types and can be enjoyed hot or cold.
You’ll need a few tools:
- A gourd, also called a mate. Gourds come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. If you want to go the traditional route, you’ll need a calabash gourd.
- How much should you drink? South Americans safely drink upwards of 1–4 liters per day. In North America and Europe, it’s not uncommon to consume 1–2 liters per day.
Brew loose leaves by adding it to a French press or strainer. Moisten with cool water. Add 170°F water and steep 5 minutes then strain. Easy! You can also add honey, creamer, mint, ginger or orange peel.
Enjoy the tea slowly with people you care about. Brewing with reverence makes it special.
It is made from the leaves of the yerba mate plant, a species of holly native to South America. The leaves are dried, aged, and processed into a finely ground powder. This powder is placed into a container called a gourd or mate, and hot water (not boiling) is poured over it to steep the leaves and produce the beverage.
The infusion can then be drunk directly from the gourd using a metal straw with a filter on the end (called a bombilla). The bombilla filters out the leaf powder as you sip, allowing you to consume only the flavored water. The mate can be refilled with hot water multiple times as you drink until the flavor fades.
It has been consumed this way for centuries across many South American cultures. Beyond being an everyday drink, the ritual of preparing, sharing, and drinking mate together plays an important social role. Gathering in groups to pass around the mate gourd represents friendliness, hospitality, and community.
It is an herbal tea made from the leaves and twigs of the Ilex paraguariensis plant native to South America. It contains caffeine and can be prepared and drunk in a variety of ways, both hot and cold. It has a long history of traditional consumption in countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil where drinking mate is akin to a social event.
The plant contains polyphenols, antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It is known to stimulate the mind by providing a boost of energy from its natural caffeine content, similar to coffee. The energy boost and drop are smooth.
Drinking it regularly may improve digestion, detoxify the body, boost the immune system, prevent disease, and even aid in weight loss efforts. However, drinking too much daily over long periods may cause negative side effects. Moderation is key.
The simplest way to prepare it is to brew it like a loose leaf tea, steeping boiling water over the dried leaves for 5-6 minutes before filtering out the leaves. Traditionally mate is drunk from a shared gourd that is passed around a social gathering. The gourd is filled with the tea then each person drinks it through a metal straw. As the mate tea is consumed, more hot water is added to the gourd and the drinking continues.