The South American drink is commonly compared to green tea. Choose a Whole Plant Cut when Drinking Mate Traditional-Style. Whole Plant yerba contains about 85% the caffeine of Pure Leaf yerba, but Whole Plant is actually higher in antioxidants. With stems, without stems, soft, strong, mild, hot, iced, flavoured, additional herbs or just straight regular maté. For yerba with stems, the blend contains these twig-like stems. Since stems dilute the leaves, they make the flavor softer and less bitter. Stems also brew more slowly than leaves and dust, which gives the mate a good balance. When purchasing the strongest yerba, it is important to consider the origin of the leaves. The best quality yerba typically comes from Argentina, Brazil, or Paraguay. Authenticity and adherence to traditional processing methods can also influence the potency and flavor of the yerba. This maté drink, recognized as one of the best canned yerba beverages, provides an energizing experience with its organic and fair trade ingredients. It has a unique flavor mix of orange, tangerine, and lime that offers a refreshing alternative to regular energy drinks.
Tips for enjoying yerba mate with stems:
- Tereré is a traditional cold-brewed yerba mate tea.
- With a French press, you can adjust the strength by choosing how much loose leaf yerba mate tea you use and how long you let it steep. Experiment to find the best method.
- You can make yerba mate just like any other tea, with a tea strainer, tea pot, French press or even a coffee maker. Use 1 tablespoon of yerba per 8 ounces of water, let it steep 3-5 minutes. You can also drink yerba mate tea bags.
Preparation methods
- Generally, yerba mate is steeped in water just off the boil, around 160 to 180 degrees, similar to green tea. Use fresh, pure water. Spring water is best. Simply use 1 tablespoon of yerba per 8 ounces of water. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes. The only thing to remember is to never use boiling water.
- You can make yerba mate with a tea strainer, tea pot, french press, or even a coffee maker. These are all viable options. You can also drink yerba mate tea bags. They can be an easy way to get accustomed to mate. Just steep one tea bag per 8 ounces of water and you’re ready to go.
- Another way of making cold yerba mate is to first brew it hot with a french press. Then add some lime, lemon, mint, honey and let it cool. Add ice cubes or refrigerate until cold. You can find more recipes in this article. Using a yerba mate tea bag is the easiest and fastest way to brew.
Other considerations
- Yerba mate can technically be brewed with cold water, although it will take longer to extract the flavor. Room temperature water isn’t hot enough for optimal extraction. The ideal temperature is between 160-176 degrees Fahrenheit. While possible to use room temperature water, you won’t get all of the benefits until steeped at a hotter temperature.
- The leaves, stems and branches of the yerba mate plant are harvested. Next, the harvested pieces are dried out in a process much like tea. In modern practices, they’re passed by conveyor belts through industrial dehumidifiers that flash heat the leaves.