It is recommended to avoid the herbal tea in the evening for good sleep. The best time to have your last cup of the South American drink is 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. If you drink it late at night, it may affect your ability to fall asleep quickly as it contains caffeine. While the tea has potential health benefits like boosting energy, it is important to be mindful of its caffeine content and timing of consumption.
Despite being touted as a social drink, drinking the herbal infusion alone in the morning is common in the US. The tea is a species of the holly genus with the botanical name Ilex paraguariensis. It is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America.
There are 4 main components that make up drinking the traditional beverage:
- Gourd
- Bombilla
- Yerba
- Hot Water
After selecting the right seeds from the best plants, life begins in a nursery. There are varying reports about harvest time which depend on climate, region and altitude but it’s generally accepted the plant is ready when it reaches four years old.
The caffeine in the drink boosts energy. But it may cause irregular heartbeats. Those with heart conditions should be cautious.
The locals in South America drink the tea 6 to 1 over coffee. It has coffee’s strength and tea’s health benefits. It doesn’t taste bitter either. Reasons to enjoy a cup. The traditional cup and straw make it authentic.
You can brew loose leaf the leaves as strong as coffee. Using a gourd takes getting used to. A French press travel mug allows leaf benefits safely.
It takes three kilos of the plant to make one kilo of tea. The plant reaches harvest potential at four years old. Climate affects exact harvest times.
The caffeine in the drink produces a different energizing effect compared to coffee. It provides stimulating and calming effects simultaneously. It lacks the jittery side effects of coffee.
The tea is native to parts of South America. Indigenous groups considered it a gift from the gods. Its origins are filled with folklore. Tribes depended on the drink for physical stamina, medicine, and to support their agriculture-based lifestyles.
When brewed with a tea strainer instead of a gourd, a kilo of the leaves lasts over half a year with daily use. The serving size is then similar to other teas at 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of water.
Compared to coffee, the traditional tea has more vitamins and substances that improve the body’s overall functioning. This makes it a great companion when facing challenges. However, it can also disturb sleep if overconsumed. Its stimulant effect is softer and longer than coffee’s.
Yerba mate is caffeinated like coffee and green tea but does not make the drinker jittery. It has adaptogenic properties promoting calm. Its antioxidants are more concentrated than green tea’s. Authentic yerba mate requires a hollowed gourd called a “calabash” and an instrument called a “bombilla”–a thick, curved straw with a filter. First, water is heated. While it heats, the gourd is filled with “yerba”. It is shaken to bring stems to the bottom so as not to clog the bombilla. The bombilla is inserted while tilted.
Thinking about ditching coffee? Our community. But drinking the infusion for hours, adding more leaves or water is most common. Each steep releases more flavor and nutrients. Most of the time the drink is enjoyed socially. Meeting in beautiful, calm nature is tradition.
The origins of yerba mate are filled with folklore. Discovered by indigenous peoples, it was an herb “from the gods” for stamina. It was a staple for lifestyles depending on tribe. It was also medicinal.
Guayusa and the traditional leaves are harvested, dried, and milled. Their drying process differs:
- Guayusa is air-dried
- Yerba mate is smoke-dried
- To dry guayusa, natural gas ovens are used
- To dry the herbal drink, burning wood is used