A few years ago, I found myself spending a lot of time hanging out with a Bolivian family. Those guys were amazing.
One of the things I picked up from them was yerba mate, an amazing herbal tea that’s apparently pretty traditional in some parts of South America, and I collected a couple of the traditional-type gourds and bombillas (think metal Slurpee straw with a strainer on the bottom) for drinking it.
The taste of yerba mate is quite different from any other kind of herbal or other tea. It’s not “flavored” flavored — you know, like fruit-flavored teas or spice-flavored teas. It has its own unique flavor — earthy, woody, grassy, even mushroomy.
It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but so satisfying. I quickly developed a strong affinity for the taste. I hadn’t had yerba mate in a long time, but I saw a box in the store today and decided to pick some up. It’s even better than I remembered.
Yerba mate contains some caffeine naturally, more than occurs in tea but less than occurs in coffee. But mate also contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids and a buttload of antioxidants. As a result, it’s held to possess powerful health benefits by those who drink it daily. Brew it with hot water (not boiling water, which will make the preparation bitter).
I recommend buying the Guayaki brand yerba mate bags — they’re especially convenient for the single person to use and enjoy. It’s not expensive at all, and the taste will brighten your day.
This is uncanny. I love yerba mate, but the coffee shop I frequent doesn’t carry it, so just today I was googling to see who around me did, and I stumbled on this *gem* of an article from the Mayo Clinic which off-handedly mentions Yerba Mate might give me mouth cancer. Seriously? This is science? http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yerba-mate/AN01774
Jolie, you beat me to it. I haven’t bothered to buy the equipment yet; I just use my French press to make it.
I love Mate! I think it is best out of the goard using the bombilla. Yes, it is an aquired taste. It is also a communal drink so I never make it even though I have a kilo of the stuff sitting in my room. Maybe we can share some day.
I love mate too. I have it every morning as the first thing that hit my stomach. It is gentle in its awakening me and allows me to start my day without the jolt of coffee. I also make it in the french press. I buy the 2 kg bag of Mate con palo!
I always take yerba mate tea for the overall health of my body, Yerba mate tastes good too. :*.,*
Head to our own internet page as well
http://www.prettygoddess.com
In Argentina, if you prepare it like tea we call that “mate cocido”, and if you drink it with a gourd we call that “mate”. You can read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_Mate#Use_as_a_beverage