Mate is a drink made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant in hot water. It tastes like green tea, with hints of tobacco and oak. Although maté is naturally bitter, many prefer to sweeten their mate tea by adding sugar, honey or sweeteners during the brewing process.
Sweet maté is prepared with a touch of white sugar, although you can also use sweeteners, honey, stevia, or brown sugar. You can even try options until you find the one you like best!
One of my favorite ways to use nut milks is by making a maté latte. To make this drink, brew your maté using hot water as usual and then heat up your preferred nut milk in a separate pot. Once hot, pour it over and sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.
Add herbs to maté to enhance flavor and provide benefits, making each cup unique. There are herbs like mint leaves to lemongrass that add taste and medicinal benefits.
Pour cold water to protect nutrients from hot you’ll pour. Insert bombilla over leaves to make less likely to fall. Pour in hot water, avoid wet mountain to strengthen later.
How do you get used to the taste of maté?
Mate is a drink made by steeping dried yerba mate plant leaves in hot water. It tastes somewhat like green tea, with hints of tobacco and oak.
To make maté taste good, moisten leaves first with cool water. Use hot – not boiling – 170F water. Steep for 5 minutes maximum. Add honey and creamer to taste. These rules yield a smooth, flavorful cup.
What can I add to maté to make it taste better?
Yerba mate is bitter due to several factors. Use 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of water. Never use boiling water, 170F is ideal. Tea bags also work, just steep one bag per 8 ounces. It takes practice to get it right. Expect mistakes at first.
Moisten the yerba mate with cool water first. Let sit 2 minutes. You can also use a french press. Fill with 3 spoonfuls of yerba mate and cold water first. Let sit 2 minutes. Press the filter down and pour when ready. You can get 2-3 brews from the leaves.
To make a mate espresso, fill the basket about 1/3 with 1.5 tablespoons yerba mate. Moisten with cold water first to expand leaves. Overfilling can be hazardous once expanded. Dilute the espresso with warm water to desired bitterness.
Is maté supposed to taste bitter?
Yerba mate has a bitter taste due to its high content of tannins. The bitterness can be caused by other factors like the drying process.
You can make maté less bitter by adjusting the water temperature, steeping time and brewing method. Use 170F water and do not boil it, as this makes it more bitter. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Prepare it traditionally with a gourd and bombilla. Or make it like tea with a strainer, French press or coffee maker – use 1 tablespoon of yerba per 8 oz water.
It takes practice to brew smooth maté. Mistakes are normal at first. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it.