Cleaning and Storing Yerba Mate
Cleaning the herbal tea helps enhance flavor and safety of the drink. Follow these steps: harvest fresh leaves, rinse thoroughly, scrub gently, store properly for long-lasting freshness. Cheers to a delicious yerba mate!
Just like preparing the South American drink, know how to remove its stains from clothes. Cleaning clothes is necessary to maintain them properly.
- Get rid of the leaves in your gourd using a spoon bombilla.
- Rinse gourd under warm water, gently scrape walls.
- Double check no leaves remain.
Health Benefits
The herbal infusion boosts metabolism, assists toxin removal unlike energy drinks that cause weight gain from sugar.
Take the tea 2-3 times a day. More brings no benefit. It shows properties longer than coffee. Has 80mg caffeine per cup – almost twice black tea but half of coffee.
Preparing Yerba Mate
Traditional method: gourd, bombilla (filter straw), hot not boiling water. Put the leaves in gourd, insert bombilla, pour water, drink through bombilla. Refill gourd 10-30 times. Bombilla prevents leaves in mouth.
The South American plant is used to make bitter drink "mate". Originally from South America but consumed globally now. Contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, antioxidants. Served hot or cold.
You can refill the gourd as many times as needed until all the flavor is gone. This can range from 10 to even 30 refills depending on the gourd size. But reusing leftover from the previous day is different.
- To prepare mate, fill a cured mate cup half full with leaves.
- Pour hot water onto the bottom half before putting in the straw.
- Let the leaves absorb the water then put the straw in at an angle.
Getting Started with Yerba Mate
If you’re new to yerba mate, start with 1-2 cups per day. Too much can cause side effects like headaches and nausea.
Herbs like mint and lemongrass can be infused with yerba mate for flavor and benefits. Mint helps soothe digestion while lemongrass provides a citrusy taste.
Cultural Significance
In South America the herbal tea is very popular, enjoyed by people of all ages in many settings. Sharing yerba mate with friends and family is a ritual of hospitality.
Making Yerba Mate Tea
To prepare french press yerba mate, add leaves and cold water first. Then pour in hot water and let sit before pressing. Enjoy your yerba mate!
You can reuse yerba mate multiple times, allowing you to savor its flavors. The best way to store it overnight is to use a stainless steel gourd, as a wooden one may grow mold. You can refill a gourd or mug with yerba mate until all the flavor is gone. Depending on the size and amount used, this can range from 10 to 30 refills.
What are the rules for drinking yerba mate?
To use a mate cup, fill the gourd with yerba mate leaves and pour hot water over the leaves. Here’s a guide on how to prepare yerba mate and everything you need to start drinking including: What type of mate cup and what to look for in a bombilla. Mate Cups come in all shapes, sizes, and materials.
You can make the South American drink just how you make any other tea. Whether it be with a tea strainer, tea pot, french press, or even a coffee maker, these are all viable options. Simply use 1 tablespoon of yerba per 8 ounces of water, let it steep for 3-5 minutes, and you have yerba mate tea.
| Beverage | Caffeine Content |
|---|---|
| Yerba mate | 65 mg per cup |
| Coffee | 95 mg per cup |
| Black tea | 40 mg per cup |
Many people are very surprised to learn how much caffeine yerba mate actually contains.
As Mayo clinic suggests, people who drink yerba mate occasionally do not suffer from diseases, but if you drink it regularly for a more extended period, you may be at the risk of developing the risks of diseases like cancer of mouth, esophagus or lungs.
To help you avoid it, we put together a list of five most common mistakes novice drinkers make when first starting out. Read to find out if you are one of them!
- Not curing your calabash gourd and not cleaning it properly. First thing to remember: if you have a natural calabash gourd, you need to cure it before first use!
Brew Loose Yerba Mate. Add 1-2 TBS of yerba mate to a French press or strainer. Add 8 oz of 170°F water. Steep 5 minutes and strain.
In this article, I’ll explore the shelf life of yerba mate, the importance of proper storage, signs of spoilage, ways to tell if your yerba mate is fresh or not, how to brew it properly, different ways to enjoy it, and tips on buying it. Drinking mate is not only a way to quench. It is a ceremony. A comparison to smoking a peace pipe will not be exaggerated. You often drink mate with a bunch of friends.
What is the historical and cultural significance of Yerba Mate? Yerba Mate has a long history among the indigenous peoples of South America. It is of great cultural importance, especially in Argentina and Uruguay, where it is traditionally shared and drunk.