ORIGINS AND BENEFITS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MATE

If you have always wondered what the renowned football player, Antoine Griezmann, drinks from his wooden gourd, you have come to the right place. We're talking about mate. What are the benefits of mate? How do you drink mate? Does mate prevent you from sleeping? This is a report by Kusmi.

Known to stimulate, aid concentration and boost the immune system, mate, traditionally consumed in Argentina, is becoming increasingly popular around the world. The benefits of mate can be obtained through different consumption methods, such as chewing the leaves of yerba mate, the traditional infusing of the mate leaves in a gourd known as a calabaza, in cake preparations, and even through our mate-based teas.

Yes, here at Kusmi we are also fans of mate. The plant known as yerba mate, containing 1% caffeine, is also present in many of our mate-based teas. This is the case of our BB detox, our Boost spiced tea, our pineapple flavoured Blue Detox and more recently our Petit Déjeuner à l’Elysée organic green tea with lemon.

Discover the Kusmi mate tea.

What is mate?

Mate is the national drink of Argentina. Consumed at least three or four times a day by Argentines, mate is a national institution!

To begin with, a little history:

Mate is the result of the infusion of the yerba mate leaves, a tree of the holly family. The yerba mate plant was discovered by the indigenous populations of South America and was mainly consumed by these people. While the yerba mate plant is now consumed all over the world, it is still only cultivated in Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

Tea and mate: what's the difference?

Is mate a theine? No! However, the reason we are discussing mate with you today, is because the relationship between tea and mate is clear.

Strictly speaking, mate is not a tea because it comes from a plant of the holly family, the yerba mate, or Ilex paraguariensis, and not from a tea tree. The yerba mate is therefore a dense tree, which grows naturally at the edges of streams, in mountainous forests between 500 m and 700 m above sea level. The yerba mate is physically very different from a tea plant.

Before the idea arose of infusing the yerba mate leaves to take advantage of its stimulating benefits, the indigenous populations chose to chew the leaves or soak them in cold water. Infusing the yerba mate leaves came a little later. The mate, a stimulating caffeine-rich drink with effects similar to those of coffee or tea, is obtained after roasting, pulverising and infusing the yerba mate leaves in hot water. Hence the fact that mate is often associated with tea.

Now you know everything about the benefits of mate, it's time to put it into practice

How should mate be drunk?

What makes mate so particular is undoubtedly its preparation and the way it is drunk. Preparing the mate can seem daunting, but preparing it according to the rules of the art is very simple. You just need to know the right techniques.

To prepare a traditional mate, you need the right equipment. This time, we will talk to you about neither filter nor teapot as the yerba mate is drunk without filter, and in a calabaza with a bombilla. Did we lose you there?

Glossary of mate preparation:

The calabaza: This is the round gourd in the shape of a squash in which we prepare and drink the yerba mate infusion. The calabaza is also called a guampa or simply mate. The Calabaza is made from a dried and gutted calabash or squash.

The bombilla: A bombilla is a metal straw with a filter at the end that is traditionally used to drink mate from the calabaza.

Read about our mate straw, specially designed for drinking your mate.

How do you prepare the mate?

You need to:

- Fill the calabaza (or other container) to ¾ with yerba mate leaves.

- Remove the powder from the leaves by shaking the calabaza with your hand over it so that the powder remains on the palm.

- Tilt the calabaza to one side so that the yerba mate leaves are grouped on one side.

- Pour a little cold water over the yerba mate leaves.

- Put the mate straw (the bombilla) in the empty part of the calabaza.

- Then add the simmering water (but not boiling, so as not to alter the taste of the mate).

- Finally drink your mate and enjoy its benefits. Note, you no longer move the bombilla.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MATE?

Along with tea and coffee, mate forms one of the three main caffeine containing drinks most consumed in the world.

But never without its bombilla and calabaza. Antoine Griezmann introduced mate to the French during Euro 2016.

Why does mate tea create intrigue and why is it so popular around the world, including with our world champion?

Mate is very popular in Argentina and has experienced a growing trend in recent years,

and this is undoubtedly thanks to its virtues and benefits. Ready to become a mate aficionado?

Below are the three benefits of mate

Mate is a stimulant.

Mate is a natural energiser. It is important to understand that mate comes somewhere between coffee and tea thanks to the 1% of caffeine present in the mate leaves. Mate, like coffee, is therefore a highly effective stimulant and concentration aid. When should you drink mate? Consuming mate in the morning, or before sporting activity, gives you a little boost for the day. Unlike coffee, mate can be just as relaxing as it is stimulating. Drinking mate during the day helps resist fatigue and offers better concentration without degrading the quality of sleep and rest. For this reason, the consumption of mate after sport is recommended for recovery. Can mate prevent you from sleeping? We can only answer "it depends". Like tea or coffee, the impact of caffeine on sleep depends on individual sensitivity.

Mate is an antioxidant.

In addition to caffeine, mate contains vitamins (B3, B2 and A), minerals (magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron) as well as antioxidant polyphenols. The presence of polyphenols in mate will undoubtedly be of interest to you since they increase the body's immune defences and also slow down aging.

Mate can help digestion.

While mate can boost the mind and motivation, it can also boost digestion. Mate can therefore be consumed after a meal to aid digestion, or during the day to regulate hunger. Indeed, mate is considered a natural "appetite suppressant" by some people. This is believed to be due to the presence of caffeine in the yerba mate plant. Beyond its digestive properties, just like coffee, green tea and black tea, mate is known for its diuretic properties. In other words, it acts against water retention, among other things.

Lovely Morning (Organic)

100 g tea-filled tin

17,90 €

Discover

Detox (Organic)

100 g tea-filled tin

17,90 €

Discover

Kusmi mate-based teas

Although traditionally consumed plain as an infusion, yerba mate goes very well with green tea. This means mate naturally fits into a number of our blends.

If you would like to try mate with Kusmi, go to our detox teas and our well-being range to discover our mate-based teas for your daily wake up and boost.

Choose your wellness tea

The Detox range: our three mate-based green teas

The Kusmi Detox range is a family story... Meet our three sibling teas, mate-based, fresh and fruity.

Detox, the blend of organic green tea, mate and lemon

Our Detox is the first born of the siblings. With a green tea base, the lemon, lemongrass and mate bring the necessary and much appreciated freshness to the mixture. Detox is simply the must-have for your pantry.

BB Detox, the blend of green tea, mate and plants: our best-selling tea

At Kusmi, we never leave BB (detox) in a corner.

BB Detox is our bestseller with a good grapefruit taste. During the day when energy levels start to drop, our BB Detox mate-based tea awaits in its yellow tea box, with its tangy grapefruit to give you that necessary little pick me up.

Some will love to take a refreshing break accompanied by BB Detox early in the day, while others prefer to wait until after the meal.

Blue Detox, the blend of green tea and pineapple mate

With its exotic pineapple notes, Blue Detox is a one-way ticket to the Caribbean. A sip of this green tea, mate and pineapple is sufficient to immerse you in the turquoise Atlantic waters. Further proof that mate can transport you.

Mate and a little more: our mate-based teas

Boost, the blend of green tea, mate and spices

In the family of wellness teas, our green tea and mate, known as Boost, is the hyperactive one.

Our green tea, mate and spices mean Boost, we do not mince our words. With use it to recover, to hit the ground running at the start of the day and to continue it with the same energy. The mate in the Boost blend associated with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger spices makes this an ideal tonic tea blend for an everyday boost. You will see that this mate-based green tea lives up to its name!

Lovely Morning, organic green tea with mate, plants and citrus fruits

With its energising virtues, mate is perfect for waking up slowly but surely. That's why you can find it in our organic citrus green tea, Lovely Morning. The citrus kick associated with the mate of our Lovely Morning makes every morning sweeter. At Kusmi, we have a theory: Jean Jacques Goldman would probably never have written "Another Morning" if he had drunk our Lovely Morning matebased green tea.

Lovely Morning (Organic)

100 g tea-filled tin

17,90 €

Discover

Detox (Organic)

100 g tea-filled tin

17,90 €

Discover

ORIGINS AND BENEFITS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MATE

Mate is a stimulant.

Mate is an antioxidant.

Mate can help digestion.

Lovely Morning (Organic)

Detox (Organic)

Kusmi mate-based teas

Detox, the blend of organic green tea, mate and lemon

BB Detox, the blend of green tea, mate and plants: our best-selling tea

Blue Detox, the blend of green tea and pineapple mate

Boost, the blend of green tea, mate and spices

﻿Lovely Morning, organic green tea with mate, plants and citrus fruits

Lovely Morning (Organic)

Detox (Organic)

Lovely Morning, organic green tea with mate, plants and citrus fruits