Preparing Mate Tea
This guide explains how to brew mate tea. I’ll give you easy instructions for preparing the traditional way or with a French press or tea bags.
Mate (mah-teh) tastes like green tea with tobacco and oak hints. Treat it like loose tea by steeping leaves in 170°F (77°C) water then filter out before drinking. Using boiling water makes it bitter.
To enjoy traditionally:
Ingredients Needed
- Mate leaves
- Gourd or cup
- Bombilla (metal straw with filter)
Steps
- Heat water to 140-170°F (60-77°C). Never boil.
- Put leaves in cup or gourd.
- Pour a bit of cool water on leaves before adding hot water.
- Insert bombilla in leaves and sip.
Tips
- Use fresh, cold filtered or spring water
- Share with others by passing gourd and bombilla
For a quicker method, make it using a French press:
- Add leaves to press
- Pour in cool then hot water
- After few minutes, press and enjoy
I hope this guide helps you properly prepare mate and enjoy its flavor and benefits! Let me know if you have any other questions.
How long should you steep it?
It is traditionally consumed in parts of South America. To prepare it, you need leaves, a gourd or cup, a metal straw (bombilla), and water.
Use 160-180 degree water, about green tea temperature. Boiling water makes it bitter. First moisten leaves with cool water. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes. You can also use a French press, tea infuser, or cold brew it overnight in the fridge.
With a tea infuser, steep for 1-3 minutes depending on desired strength. Tereré is a traditional iced drink. For a gourd, fill halfway with leaves. Using too much overflows it. Customs ritualize drinking it in South American social gatherings.
You can also drink canned, bottled, or single-use for convenience. The plants origins trace to indigenous tribes in parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina where it remains popular. Its caffeine content provides an energizing lift.
Why not boiling water?
It tastes like green tea, with tobacco and oak hints. Brew loose leaves by adding 1-2 tbsp to a French press or strainer. Moisten with cool water. Add 8 oz 170°F water. Steep 5 minutes then strain. Flavor to taste.
Whether using a mug strainer, tea pot or ball you’ll get great flavor. Remember to moisten first with cool water before adding hot.
The ideal water temperature is 160-180°F. Too hot makes it bitter. Too cold won’t extract enough flavor. After pouring in hot water, let it steep at least 2 minutes before drinking.
You can also cold brew or make iced tea. This preserves all nutritional benefits. Whether hot or cold, it is a great coffee alternative.
How many times can it be steeped?
It is traditionally drunk from a gourd using a metal straw. It has gained popularity worldwide for its flavor and potential health benefits.
To brew, you will need: leaves, a gourd or cup, a metal straw or bombilla, and hot water. Place the leaves into the gourd or cup. Insert the metal straw to one side. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the gourd or cup.
Let steep for 3-5 minutes. Drink the infusion by sipping the liquid through the bombilla. Add more hot water as needed. The leaves can be refilled around 5 times before losing flavor.
Signs overbrewed include a bitter taste and dark color. To reuse leaves, store them away from moisture and light. Slightly hotter water can help extract more flavor from the leaves in subsequent brews.
Other preparation methods include cold brewing overnight in the refrigerator or using a French press. Adjust steeping time and water temperature to achieve desired flavor strength.