Yerba mate is a tea made from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant. This herbal tea has a unique flavor and contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
It can be prepared hot or cold. Cold brewing preserves the nutrients. To cold brew, use a ratio of one part yerba mate to four parts cold water. Adjust amounts to taste. Use high quality, organic leaves for best flavor.
Brewing Instructions
Fill a French press with it. Add cold water to cover. Let sit for two minutes. The traditional way to prepare it is to share a gourd filled with leaves in a circle of friends and family. Pour hot water (not boiling) over the yerba mate and pass the gourd around for everyone to drink from through a metal straw.
What is the ratio of mate to water?
It is made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant in hot water. It tastes somewhat like green tea, with hints of tobacco and oak. Yerba mate is a perfect way to get a caffeine boost morning or afternoon.
To make cold brew, fill up a french press with three spoonfuls of yerba mate. Add cold water and make sure it covers all the leaves. Then add hot water at 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Let sit for two minutes.
When serving cold brew, use a small tea strainer over your cup. For efficiency, you can strain the entire brew into a bowl then pour back into the rinsed french press. Some herbs to mix in are mint, chamomile, orange peel, lemongrass, lemon balm, and goji berries.
The easiest way to brew it is using a tea bag. Just put the tea bag in a cup, add hot water, and let brew for a couple of minutes. It is generally steeped in water around 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to green tea. You can also cold brew in water to make an iced tea.
How long do you let it steep?
It is steeped in hot, not boiling, water, at about 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This is similar to the temperature for green tea. Using boiling water will make the mate bitter. The steeping time ranges from 2 to 5 minutes depending on personal taste. When served cold, yerba mate is called tereré.
To make cold brew, cover the loose leaves with cold water and refrigerate overnight. This method produces a refreshing chilled mate that preserves the flavor and health benefits. The French press method can also adjust the strength to taste. Finally, leaves can be placed in tea bags or infusers for steeping convenience.
Other Brewing Methods
How to make it in a teapot?
Add 1 teaspoon to your strainer for every 8 ounces of water. Pour room temperature water over all the leaves. Pour in 160-170oF hot water. Let the tea steep for at least 5 minutes before serving. Using a tea strainer is more of an on-the-go method. It’s easy to quickly discard the leaves after steeping. This is a great way to make it without a gourd.
Brewing is easy. You need to follow simple instructions. Add 1-2 tea bags to a mug. Moisten the bags with cool water then fill the mug with 170°F water. With a french press you can easily adjust the strength by choosing how much loose leaf to use and how long to steep between 1 to 3 minutes. An electric tea kettle with infuser can also brew tea. Tereré is a traditional cold brewed tea.