“Yerba Mate has all the characteristics of tea and coffee and none of their negative properties… it is the most refreshing drink without leaving any unpleasant effects."
– „Through South America`s Southland”, Rev. Dr. J. A. Zahm, C.S.C, Ph.D.
Yerba mate is one of the most useful types of tea that is little known. It is prepared from the leaves of a tree species that grows in the tropical forests of South America. It has a strong energizing effect and can replace coffee in the morning as a healthy alternative.
Yerba Mate has a particularly strong, earthy and actually very complex flavor that can hardly be compared to other types of tea. It is popular in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina. It is a source of valuable and powerful antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, potassium, manganese.
Why is yerba mate tea so beneficial?
Gives a lot of energy and tastes great!
Yerba mate is a healthy start to the day. It gives just as much energy as coffee, but is a healthier alternative. Yerba mate also contains caffeine, notably less than the amount in coffee, but after consuming yerba mate, the effects of caffeine are not the same as with a cup of coffee. This is because of the amount of fiber and antioxidants in this tea, which help prevent caffeine from causing such a sudden impact on the nervous system.
Thanks to the unique combination of active ingredients, Yerba Mate has the ability to simultaneously stimulate and relax the body and clarify the mind. Of the six most common stimulants: guarana, coffee, cocoa, cola and tea, it is characterized by the most balanced, toning and nourishing action. Compared to coffee, Mate is distinguished by a delicate and significantly longer-lasting effect that lasts throughout the day.
How to Prepare it and Everything You Need to Start
Preparation of water for Mate
I recommend using good, low mineralized spring water. Most mineral waters have a high mineralization, respectively a specific added taste from the contained ingredients. If you have the opportunity to prepare Mate with spring mountain water, there is no better approach than this. Tap water is not preferable due to the high content of heavy metals (chlorine, fluorine, etc.). Water with such a content poured into the calabaza "kills" Mate and neutralizes its beneficial qualities and ingredients.
Regardless of what and how you preheat, it should be kept in mind that the appropriate water temperature is between 60° and 80°. The lower one would not be able to sufficiently reveal the strength and potential of Mate, and the warmer one will burn it with the first pour. Different Mate brands tolerate different temperatures as well. Your personal preferences also matter, some materos prefer a cooler Mate, similar in temperature even to terrere, while others drink it almost hot. Experiment and find your temperature and Mate experience.
Step 1: Fill the calabaza with yerba mate about ½ to ¾ of its volume. The smaller fractions (gaucho) fill about ½, while the classic Argentine and even Paraguayan with sprigs, about ⅔ or ¾. The idea is that the leaf-only fractions swell more after being poured, unlike those with twig content. The knowledge of exactly how much yerba mate to fill the gourd with will crystallize over time, as mate experience is gained.
Step 2: Cover with the palm of your hand and turn the calabaza upside down. We intensively shake the full calabaza up and down vertically.
The goal is:
- To create a space to place the bombilla.
- Mate to be structured as a natural filter, separating the smaller and powdery fractions to the lower palm (towards the throat). In this way, returning the calabaza to it's starting position, the larger particles remain on its underside (the bottom), preventing the subsequent clogging of the bombilla;
- Through the palms, to feel the rhythm of the yerba in the body.
Step 3: We return the calabaza to the starting position (with the neck up), simultaneously building Mate at a 45° slope to the axis of the calabaza and creating the so-called Mate mountain. The space opposite it, ¼ to ½ of the volume of the calabaza, we leave empty, in it we will pour the water for Mate. During this preparation, as well as during the subsequent infusions, it is important to preserve the structure of the Mate mountain;
Step 4: Pour water at room temperature on the wall opposite to Mate Mountain until ⅓ to ⅔ of the free volume is occupied.
The idea is:
- Do not "burn" and scald the yerba already with the first watering, in case we pour directly with the warm water;
- To preserve all the nutritional and beneficial ingredients, preventing at the same time the excessive release of tannins;
- To prepare and gradually temper Mate.
We wait 1-2 minutes for the room temperature water to be absorbed and top up with the previously prepared 60° - 80° water. We fill so that the yerba with the water occupies about ⅘ or ⅚ of the volume of the calabaza. We run the water down the calabaza wall, not directly onto the foliage, so that it seeps into the yerba from the bottom up.
Step 5: We place the bombilla perpendicular to the Mate mountain, pre-blocking its tip with a thumb, preventing it from clogging and entering air. The best, from the point of view of preserving the structure of Mate and filtering it, is the bombilla to be "punched" under the Mate mountain, starting from the opposite wall. Nevertheless, in case it is necessary, do not hesitate to move the bombilla or compact the yerba with it. Remember, however, that this is done only by the person making the Mate.
The method described above is traditional for placing a bombilla. However, depending on its type and filter, we could position it below or above the mountain.
Happy drinking!
