Yerba mate is an evergreen holly plant species native to South America. Mate is an infusion technique made by soaking the yerba mate plant’s dried leaves in hot water and enjoyed with a metal straw called a bombilla. It is known for rich antioxidants (more than green tea) and nutrients.
Traditionally, prepared in a gourd and passed around, drinking yerba mate is a social and cultural experience. While using a gourd is still the preferred way to drink yerba mate, modern-day methods work. Many companies market yerba mate as an herbal tea. It isn’t technically a tea unless blended with black or green tea. There are so many ways to drink Yerba mate, such as traditional tea, teapot, French press, or a coffee maker.
Yerba mate health benefits
Argentina and many other South American countries enjoy Yerba mate for a reason. It’s packed with vitamins such as vitamin B, vitamin C, Zinc, Potassium, and Manganese. Its powerful antioxidants are known to reduce inflammation, detox your body, protect your heart and DNA, and help with weight loss.
Because chlorogenic acid is the main compound, Yerba mate is very similar to coffee. One cup of yerba mate contains just 78 mg of caffeine. It’s no wonder Yerba Mate remains one of the most popular drinks in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
Origins of Yerba mate
Native to the area of South America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Paraguay River. Specifically, northern Argentina, the south of Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Initially consumed by indigenous populations of Argentina and regions near Brazil and Uruguay before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, Jesuit priests began cultivating the mate tree in the 17th century and introduced drinking mate, a hot beverage.
The tradition of drinking mate has remained unaltered since ancient times and for five centuries, increasingly taking root and spreading to distant places. Popular with Argentinian gauchos (or cowboys), they sipped yerba mate for energy during cattle drives or long harvest days; it was known by indigenous as the herb “from the gods”, and Europeans coined the term “the green gold of the Indios.” Often a gourd of yerba mate was shared and sipped in fellowships with meals.
How Yerba mate is cultivated
Since Yerba mate is grown in its native region, processed in its native South American regions. Cultivators, also known as yerbateros (Spanish) or ervateiros (Brazilian Portuguese), dry the branches by a wood fire, giving a smoky flavor.
Yerbateros can only harvest wild Yerba mate every two years as their leaves take longer to develop fully. Whereas every winter, cultivated trees are harvested because they mature faster due to careful pruning, sun exposure, and water control.
The intensity of the taste, caffeine levels, and other nutrients can vary depending on whether it is a male or female plant. Female plants tend to be more delicate in flavor and lower in caffeine. They are also moderately scarce in the areas where yerba mate is planted and cultivated.
Brazil remains one of the biggest producers of mate globally, with over 500 thousand metric tons, followed by Argentina with nearly 300 thousand metric tons!
How to prepare Yerba mate
While we won’t go into every specific detail, here is a quick guide to preparing Yerba mate. If you would like more in-depth knowledge, see our guide to drinking Yerba mate. Don’t have a Yerba mate setup? No worries! Check out the ultimate getting started guide.
- Fill the gourd with Yerba – Fill about 3/4 of your gourd with Yerba and slant it at a 45-degree incline.
- Add water – Pour room temperature water as close to the gourd wall on Yerba’s slant side. Looking at the mate from overhead, you will see a half-filled with water and half dry. Give the Yerba some time to absorb moisture, usually about one minute.
- Add hot water – Repeat this process, but with hot water. We recommend not to use boiled water because it could burn the Yerba, affecting its taste and performance.
- Insert bombilla – Inject bombilla on the same lower side of the Yerba until you reach the bottom of the gourd.
- Hold Yerba with bombilla – Press Yerba with bombilla, building two levels: one higher dry side and others lower wet side.
- Add hot water – Begin adding hot water to the lower moist side, pouring as close as possible, and avoiding the Yerba’s higher dry side.
- Your mate is ready – Drink using the bombilla and continue to add water when needed or until the flavor is no longer present.
At any time, depending on the yerba mate, you will start noticing the mate is losing its flavor – burning or accidentally wetting all the Yerba will make the batch lose its flavor faster, so be careful! Also note, adding too much water can cause the Yerba to release all the taste much more quickly; Key is to add optimal amounts of water that way, you can enjoy your mate much longer! When the mate has lost its taste, remove the bombilla, discarding the Yerba; if you plan on making a second batch, repeat steps 4-6 above.
Here is a video explaining how traditional Yerba mate is prepared and enjoyed. If you’re a visual type person like myself, then here is a video explaining and showing how to prepare Yerba mate!
