Ingredients:
- Yerba mate leaves
- Hot, but not boiling, water
Preparation:
1) Fill your mate gourd with 3/4 yerba mate
2) Shake your mate and make a “montañita”
3) Add cold water into the gap between the montañita and the edge of the mate gourd. Allow the leaves to absorb the water
4) Next, add the hot water
5) Insert the bombilla (yerba mate straw) with the filter side down into the gap, preserving some space
6) Drink until you hear slurping noises
7) Refill and enjoy
You can also make mate using a tea strainer, tea pot, or french press. Simply use 1 tablespoon of leaves per 8 ounces of water, let it steep for 3-5 minutes. Just remember to never use boiling water, as it makes the brew more bitter.
Sweeteners:
Mate is known for being bitter, so it is just begging for sweetness. There are lots of great sweetener options. For hot tea, try honey. For iced mate, try making a simple syrup to sweeten the tea.
Proper Brewing
To avoid an overly bitter and strong mate, fill up the gourd 2/3 to 3/4 with yerba mate and drink it through bombilla. Properly prepared mate is designed to be balanced during the whole drinking session, as the water touches the leaves partially, eventually using it all over the time as you pour more and more water.
Yerba Mate Leaves
Brewing a proper mate starts with the basic ingredient: the yerba mate leaves. The leaves, used in dry form, are best consumed on their own as an energizing and nutrient-rich infusion, sipped through a filtered straw straight out of a mate gourd.
Making Yerba Mate Taste Nice
Ideal Temperature
The ideal brewing temperature is approximately 170°F(77°C); Never use boiling water , because that will make the brew much more bitter. This recipe uses a blend of cool and hot water.
Materials Needed:
1⁄2 cup yerba mate leaves
Water (hot and cold)
Bombilla (mate straw)
Steps:
Fill the gourd with leaves until roughly two-thirds full. Tilt the gourd to one side and shake the leaves to one side. Lay the bombilla with the filter side down over the leaves, preserving a bit of the gap. Add cold water into the gap. Allow the leaves to absorb the cool water. Next, add the hot water to the gourd.
Instead of straining normal tea (or using a teabag), yerba mate is placed into a gourd and a metal straw is placed into it. The metal straw strains the leaves so you can easily suck up just the brewed tea.
With a French press, you can easily adjust the strength of the tea by choosing how much loose leaf yerba mate tea you use and how long you let it steep.
About Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is a plant found in South America. Its leaves are brewed to make a stimulating drink. Organic yerba mate is the healthier choice. Drinking large amounts for a long time increases the risk of some cancers. The straw with a screened filter keeps out leaves. Yerba mate definitely contains caffeine. One cup has roughly 78 mg of caffeine, similar to coffee. But drink in moderation.