What is mate?
If South Africa is renowned for rooibos (sometimes called “red bush”), Latin America takes pride in another native plant: yerba mate or Ilex paraguariensis, which grows notably in northeastern Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil. The story goes that this plant was already consumed by the Guarani Amerindians who chewed it or left it to soak in their gourd of fresh water. Although it grew in the wild, it was then cultivated, and its consumption spread to other Latin American countries (Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, etc.), before gaining followers all over the world. Nowadays, mate is most often drunk hot, infused in a kind of gourd, called a calabash. It is a metal tube (bombilla) which serves both as a filter, but also as a straw.
What does mate taste like?
Difficult to answer this question. It's a bit like asking what tea tastes like, when there are different types of tea (white, green, black), with flavors that vary depending on the place of cultivation, the infusion, or whether it is flavored or not. For mate, it’s a bit the same, there are different types. If we had to summarize its general taste, we would talk about a slightly bitter vegetable flavor. Classic/traditional mate, consumed in Latin America, is drunk very bitter, while green mate (which has not been refined), more present in Europe, is sweeter, more flavored, sometimes with caramelized flavors. The preparation of the mate also affects its taste. To avoid a beverage that is too bitter, you must be careful not to use water that is too hot (70-80°) and not to let it infuse for too long.
Also read: The different tastes and flavors of mate
Can we play on the taste of mate?
As with tea, you can influence the taste by enhancing it. Depending on our preferences, we can add milk, honey, sugar, maple syrup, spices (cinnamon, cardamom, anise, etc.), coffee beans, mint, ginger, or even citrus peels to the mate.
How to properly prepare your mate?
To properly prepare your mate in the traditional way, all you need is a calabash and a bombilla. The calabash is a container specially designed for mate and the bombilla is a filtering straw that allows you to drink without letting the leaves pass through.
Here are the steps:
1. Heat water in a kettle without boiling it, the temperature should be between 70° and 80° C.
2. Fill the calabash up to ⅔ with organic mate. Mix to make the dust fall to the bottom. Make sure the leaves form a pile on their sides.
3. Place the bombilla in the calabash.
4. Pour in the hot water and let the mate infuse for a few seconds.
The mate can be brewed several times according to your tastes and desires.
What are the benefits of mate?
More and more popular, mate is enjoying success thanks to its many benefits. First, it is a stimulating drink composed of caffeine (1%), providing a little “boost”. Then, mate is a concentrate of antioxidants, minerals (potassium, magnesium) and vitamins which help with concentration, strengthen our immune defenses, while reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Another advantage of mate: it has an appetite suppressant effect, forcing the body to draw on its reserves. Its infusion would then be recommended during certain weight loss diets.
For a quality drink, we opt for organic mate
At Kusmi, the mate is integrated into several of our flagship recipes, which are all organic, assembled and packaged in France. The organic designation guarantees you numerous quality controls during the production and development of tea, respectful of the environment and without pesticides.
On our menu, the mix Euphoria which brings together grilled mate, cocoa, orange, Detox which mixes mate, green tea and lemon, or even BB Detox (mate, green tea and grapefruit), Lovely Morning (green tea, mate, citrus fruits), Love is pure (green tea, mate, nettle), Boost (green tea, mate, ginger), Blue detox (green and mate tea). Note that we can provide you with bombilla, this stainless steel straw, specially designed for enjoying your mate.
And to prepare it at home, here are our recipe ideas !
Our opinion on yerba mate
Our opinion on this drink? If you're looking for something different, yerba mate is for you! Whatever the time of day, it will give you a boost of energy. Possessing numerous health benefits, it is rich in vitamins, minerals and is a powerful natural stimulant. It is a bitter drink but its bitterness depends on the quality of the leaves. To be sure you are buying quality mate, opt for a green/yellow color. Also note that the taste of mate differs depending on the variety.
Yerba mate is an atypical but very attractive drink that will delight palates looking for exoticism. Possessing many benefits, we can only encourage you to try it. As long as you opt for organic mate! Halfway between tea and infusion, mate, this ancestral drink from South America, has something to seduce you.