Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a plant from the holly family that grows in South America, especially Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. For centuries now, people have used dried leaves of the plant as tea or infusion. Studies have shown that mate contains antioxidants and can boost energy levels, improve digestion, and support weight loss.
The shared experience creates an emotional bond between people. This tradition connects them to the roots of mate’s origins.
Steeping Mate
When you steep mate, you allow the leaves to release their natural flavors and unlock the full potential of this delightful beverage. Not only does the right steeping time enhance the taste, but it also maximizes the health benefits. Oversteeping mate can affect its taste, making it bitter and unpleasant.
The proportions are not exact, but to have an idea, the desired thing is that it reaches exactly the half of the mate. You can easily adjust the strength of the tea by choosing how much loose leaf mate tea you use and how long you let it steep.
The traditional ritual is actually described in the name, Yerba Maté, which means “gourd herb”. … The gourd is topped off with hot water, just below boiling to not burn the leaves.
How to Drink Mate
First, drink mate on an empty stomach. This way, you’re more sensitive to caffeine compared to drinking it after a meal.
Mate can be steeped multiple times. The first infusion is around 5 minutes, extracting initial flavors. Subsequent steeps are shorter at 2-3 minutes, revealing deeper notes as some flavors have already been extracted.
Typically, the first steep extracts initial flavors. The second and third steeps reveal more subtle, deeper notes. As hot water penetrates the leaves, different flavors are extracted through each steeping process.
In Argentina, mate consumption is 14 pounds per person yearly. It is in 90% of households. Over a pound is in the monthly food basket. Argentinians often drink it at breakfast with juice. Sometimes it is before sunset. Now mate comes in convenient cans and bottles too for drinking anytime. Getting together to matear connects people emotionally to their roots.
Effects tend to last for two to three hours. Habitual mate drinkers may gradually increase daily intake to sustain the lift. Care should be taken to moderate consumption, especially later in the day, to prevent sleep disruption.