What is special about yerba mate tea?
Yerba mate is a traditional tea from South America. It’s been brewed for centuries but it’s only gaining global recognition now. It contains a moderate amount of caffeine, falling between coffee and tea with 85 mg per cup. Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, and E have been identified in yerba mate. These vitamins boost your immune system and promote health. Yerba mate is incredibly rich in minerals, too.
Preparing and Drinking Yerba Mate
Whether making yerba mate hot or cold, it is a great herbal alternative to coffee. Its main purpose is to help people bond: the drinking ritual represents hospitality and welcoming. Today, people all over the world drink this tea for its health benefits and gentle energy boost.
In the traditional ceremonies, yerba mate is prepared in a small gourd passed around a group. The host samples it first. Each guest drinks the entire gourd of tea and fills it with hot water again to pass it counter-clockwise.
Yerba mate is an herb native to South America and is the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil.
To brew yerba mate tea traditionally you need a mate gourd, a bombilla (straw), hot water and yerba mate. Fill your mate cup with 3/4 parts dried leaves then cover and shake it to a 45 degree slope.
Why Yerba Mate is Addictive
Why is yerba mate so addictive?
Yerba mate is a traditional South American drink made from the Ilex paraguariensis plant. Yerba mate contains vitamins A, B, C and E which boost the immune system. It also contains minerals. The caffeine level falls between coffee and tea. Mate provides an energy boost with less caffeine than coffee and more nutrients.
The traditional method of preparing mate involves passing around a gourd and bombilla. This ritual is known as "mateando" and symbolizes friendship and community.
Yerba Mate vs Green Tea
Health Benefits
Yerba mate gives a higher energy boost than green tea. It has much more caffeine – about 80mg per cup, versus 45mg in green tea. For increased energy and caffeine’s stimulating effects, yerba mate provides more value. It gives smooth, sustained energy, not a spike and crash.
Yerba mate tea leaves brew an invigorating tea that boosts mental and physical performance and aids in weight loss.
Flavor
Flavor differs – green tea is earthy while yerba mate is intense and bitter.
Antioxidants
Yerba mate contains antioxidants that may protect against heart disease. It has higher caffeine than green tea which may slightly increase fat burning.
Choosing the Best Yerba Mate Tea
When choosing yerba mate, look for brands that use high-quality unsmoked leaves without added flavors or chemicals. The best yerba mate delivers a pleasantly bitter, earthy flavor with rough-cut leaves and some stems. It can be stored for 6-12 months when properly sealed.
Benefits
Top reasons to drink yerba mate:
- natural energy lift without jitters or crash
- antioxidants for overall health
- vitamins and minerals
- pleasant earthy flavor
- traditional cultural beverage in South America