Harvesting the Yerba Mate Plant
The herb is a holly species native to South America. It’s brewed like tea to make a popular drink. We’ll cover growing, preparation, drinking, and more.
After 4-6 years, yerba mate trees are harvested. The harvest rotates, so there’s constant supply. Leaves replace lost growth during the 2 year rest period.
Making Yerba Mate
Although the drink is popular in South America, processing varies by region.
Serving Yerba Mate
The Elements
First, the elements. Fill your mate gourd 3/4 with yerba. Shake to make a “montañita”.
Preparation Styles
There are many drink styles. We’ll cover the traditional elaboration so you can adapt to taste.
The Traditional Method
What is the traditional way to drink yerba mate?
The basic cup (drinking device) is made from a gourd. To prepare the drink, you will need a few essential tools:
- a gourd, traditionally made from a hollowed-out calabash. Nowadays, you can find gourds made from ceramics, metal or wood.
- By far, the most popular and authentic way is to follow the preparation style using a filtered straw and gourd or cup.
- The traditional method requires delicate care.
In the end, you’re rewarded with a delicious energy-boosting infusion. The drink was designed to be shared as part of a ceremonial experience.
Serving Rituals
How is yerba mate served?
The beverage is a traditional South American drink brewed from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. This caffeine-containing infusion is especially popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil.
To prepare it, the leaves are dried, chopped and ground into a powdery mixture called yerba. The yerba is placed into a hollowed-out gourd called a maté. Cold water is first poured into the gourd to moisten the leaves and help preserve the flavor and nutrients. Then hot water (160-180°F) is added to cover all the leaves and allowed to steep to make the infusion.
The drink is drunk directly from the gourd through a metal straw with a filter on the end called a bombilla. This strains out the leaf particles as you sip. The gourd is passed around in a circle to share it with friends. It’s customary to thank the cebador or server when you are done drinking. The cebador continues pouring hot water into the gourd and passing it to others until the yerba is exhausted of flavor.
This sharing ritual symbolizes friendship and camaraderie in South American culture where drinking it is a beloved tradition. The custom reflects the herb’s homeland in the forests of southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina where it grows on a holly bush related to the North American red-berried holly.