Can I drink herbal tea cold?
Herbal tea is made from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant. It is a traditional drink in South America. Like black or green tea, it contains caffeine. The herbal infusion can be served hot or cold. Drinking it is linked to health benefits like weight loss, lower cholesterol, and reduced inflammation.
When preparing cold herbal tea, it is best to use filtered water for pure flavor. You can brew it overnight in the refrigerator or make a 30-50 minute cold water extraction.
Experiment with different herbs and fruits to create your own delicious cold herbal tea blends.
What does yerba mate tea do?
The yerba mate plant is a holly native to South America. Its leaves are dried, aged and ground into a powder for brewing. The herbal infusion has caffeine like coffee or tea. But it does not make you jittery.
The natives of South America call yerba mate "the drink of the gods." They believe it combines the benefits of chocolate, coffee and tea. Drinking yerba mate is a social event. The tradition is to pass around a gourd filled with yerba mate tea. Each person drinks the entire gourd then refills it with hot water. This passing goes counter-clockwise.
Yerba mate has less caffeine than coffee or black tea. It gives balanced, sustained energy without jitters or crashing.
To prepare yerba mate:
- Use a tea bag for simplicity
- Brew traditionally with a gourd and filtered metal straw called a bombilla
What is the cold version of yerba mate?
Yerba mate is a plant native to South America used to make a caffeinated herbal tea called mate. The leaves are dried, crushed into a powder, and steeped in hot water to make the tea. When served cold instead of hot, it is called tereré.
Yerba mate has now become popular in parts of Syria and Lebanon. Argentina is the world’s largest producer and exporter of yerba mate.
The yerba mate plant is a species of holly (Ilex paraguariensis) that can live for up to 100 years. It thrives in the subtropical climate zones of central and south America. The leaves and small stems are harvested, dried, aged and milled into a fine powder to make yerba mate tea.
Some ways to soften the intense flavor is to first pour cool water over the yerba mate powder to allow it to absorb slowly before adding hot water. Adding mint or fruit juice can also mellow the bitter taste.