The maté, what is it?
The maté is there national drink in Argentina. Consumed at least three to four times a day by Argentinians, maté is the institution in the country!
First, a little history:
The maté is the result of the infusion of leaves of yerba maté, a tree of the holly family. The yerba plant maté was discovered by the aborigines of South America and was mainly consumed by these people. If now the Yerba plant maté is consumed throughout the world, it remains only cultivated in Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.
At Kusmi Tea, discover the flavor of maté in several of our blends: our BB Detox, our spiced tea Boost, our Blue Detox flavored with pineapple or our organic green tea with lemon Breakfast at the Elysée. How to integrate this plant into your well-being routine with Kusmi Tea ? We tell you everything!
Tea and maté : what difference?
The maté is it a theine ? No ! However, if we talk to you about maté today, it is that the relationship between tea and maté is palpable.
If the maté is not a tea strictly speaking, it is because it comes from a plant of the holly family: yerba mate, or Ilex paraguariensis and not a tea plant.
Yerba mate is therefore a tree with thickets, which grows naturally on the banks of streams, in mountainous forests between 500 m and 700 m altitude. Yerba maté is therefore physically very different from a tea plant.
Before even having the idea of infusing the yerba leaves maté To benefit from its stimulating benefits, Native Americans preferred to chew the leaves or soak them in cold water. Theinfusion of yerba leaves maté arrived a little later. After roasting, pulverizing and infusing the yerba leaves maté in hot water, we obtain the maté, a stimulating drink rich in caffeine, with effects similar to those of coffee or tea. Hence the fact that the maté is often associated with tea.
You now know everything about benefits of maté, time for practice.
How to drink maté ?
What makes the maté so special, it is undoubtedly its preparation and its way of tasting it. Prepare it maté may seem impressive and yet the preparation of the maté in the rules of the art is very simple. You still need to know the right techniques.
To prepare a maté traditional, you need the right equipment. For once, we won't talk to you about filters or teapots since yerba maté is drunk without filter, in a Calabash and with a bombilla. Have we lost you?
Glossary of preparation maté :
- The calabash : This is the round gourd in the shape of a squash in which we prepare and drink the Yerba infusion Maté. The calabash is also called guampa or simply mate. Moreover, the Calabash is made from a dried and gutted squash
- The bombilla : One bombilla is a metal straw with a filter on the end that is traditionally used for drinking maté directly from the calabash.
Find our straw maté, specially designed to enjoy your maté.
How to prepare the maté ?
You must:
-
Fill out your calabash (or other container) ¾ with yerba leaves maté.
- Dispose of the powder from the leaves by shaking the calabash with his hand above so that the powder remains on the palm
- Tilt the gourd to one side so that the yerba leaves maté are concentrated on one side
- Pour a little cold water over the yerba leaves maté
- Put the straw of maté also called bombilla in the empty part of the calabash
- Then add thesimmering water (and not boiling so as not to distort the taste of the maté).
Finally enjoy your maté and enjoy the benefits of maté. Be careful, do not move the bombilla again. Discover our recipe ideas !
What are the 6 benefits of maté ?
1. THE MATÉ IS A STIMULANT
The maté is a natural energizer. You should know that the maté
is between coffee and tea thanks to the 1% caffeine present in the leaves of maté. The maté, like coffee, is therefore a highly effective stimulant and aid to concentration. When to drink it maté ? Consume maté in the morning, or before a sports session, would allow you to give yourself a little boost boost for the day. Unlike coffee, maté could be just as relaxing as it is stimulating. Drink maté during the day would help resist fatigue and offer better concentration without degrading the quality of sleep and rest. This is why the maté, consumed after sport is recommended for recovery. Does the maté prevents you from sleeping? We can only answer “it depends”. Like tea or coffee, the impact of caffeine on sleep will depend on individual sensitivity.
2.LE MATÉ IS AN ANTIOXIDANT
In addition to caffeine, maté contains vitamins (B3, B2 and A), minerals (magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron) as well as antioxidant polyphenols. The presence of polyphenols in the maté will undoubtedly interest you since they allow you to increase the body's immune defenses but also to slow down aging.
3.LE MATÉ MAY HELP WITH DIGESTION
If the maté could boost the mind and motivation, it would also boost digestion. The maté can therefore be consumed after a meal to help digestion or during the day to regulate hunger. Indeed, the maté can be considered a natural “appetite suppressant” by some people. This would be due to the presence of caffeine in the plant. Yerba maté. Beyond its digestive virtues, the maté, just like the coffee, the green tea, or the black tea, shines with its properties diuretics. That is to say, it acts, among other things, against water retention.
4. HELP IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: A SLIMMING ALLY
Known for its stimulating properties thanks to caffeine, this drink made from the leaves of the ilex paraguariensis helps to increase metabolism, thus promoting better calorie burning. But that's not all: the infusion of maté can also reduce appetite, leading to less food intake on a daily basis. Fit in a cup of maté to your routine can therefore effectively support weight loss, in addition to a balanced diet and regular physical activity.
5.SUPPORT OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: REINFORCED DEFENSES
In the incessant ballet of pathogens, our body is a dancer that never stops defending itself, and the regular consumption of maté can be likened to a refined choreography to strengthen this tireless dancer. The antioxidants found in yerba mate play a key role in protecting cells from oxidative damage.
While the saponin content helps reduce bad cholesterol, thus contributing to a healthier body that is better able to fight against external aggressions. Add to this that mate contains various vitamins and minerals which support the body's natural defenses, making each infusion a true elixir of vitality.
6.NUTRIENT SUPPLY: A TREASURE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS
But apart from its stimulating role, the maté is also a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals : A, B1, B2, B5, C and E are invited into the circle of benefits, thus promoting the strengthening of immune system and cell regeneration. Trace minerals, such as iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese, help maintain electrolyte balance and optimize muscle and nerve function.
Teas made from Maté at Kusmi
Although traditionally consumed plain as an infusion, yerba maté goes very well with the green tea. This is why the maté naturally finds its place in different of our blends.
To consume the maté at Kusmi, meet among our detox teas and our well-being range to discover our teas made from maté which wake you up and which boost every day.
Choose your wellness tea.
The Detox range: our three green teas made from maté
The range Detox from Kusmi, it's a family story... Meet our siblings of three teas, based on maté, fresh and fruity.
Detox, the organic green tea blend, maté and lemon
Our Detox is the firstborn of the siblings. On a base of green tea, lemon, lemongrass and maté come to bring the necessary and much appreciated freshness to the mixture. Detox, it's quite simply the must-have to have in your closet.
BB Detox, the mixture of green tea, maté and plants: our best-selling tea
BB Detox, this is our bestseller with a good grapefruit taste. During the day when energy begins to drop, our tea made from maté BB Detox is there, in his box of yellow tea, with his tangy notes grapefruit to give you the little boost of energy you need. Some will like to take a refreshing break accompanied by BB Detox at the start of the day, others will prefer to wait until afterafter the meal.
Blue Detox, the mixture of green tea and maté with pineapple
With sare exotic notes of pineapple, Blue Detox, is a one-way ticket to the Caribbean. A sip of this green tea, maté and pineapple will be enough to make you dive into the turquoise waters of the Pacific. Yet another proof that the maté can take you on a journey
Immune Defense Ritual, the organic green tea blend, maté, acerola with orange and tropical fruits
Kusmi Tea innovates by pushing the limits of inventiveness and letting science act with its Immune Defense Ritual. The objective of this health tea is to strengthen your immune system. Every day you can enjoy a blend of maté and organic green tea, with fruity notes of orange, tropical fruits and blackcurrant. The secret of this tea lies in acerola, one of the fruits richest in vitamin C.
From maté and more if you like: our teas made from maté
Boost, the mixture of green tea, maté and spices.
In the family of wellness teas, our green tea and maté named Boost, is hyperactive. With our green tea, maté and spices, Boost, we don't take four ways. With him, we pull yourself together, start your day off right and continue with the same energy. The maté present in the mixture Boost associated with spices cinnamon, of cardamom and of ginger makes this tea an ideal tonic blend to reenergize yourself on a daily basis.
Admit that this green tea made from maté bears its name well?
Lovely Morning, organic green tea with maté, plants and citrus fruits
With its energizing virtues, maté is perfect for waking up slowly but surely. This is why you can find it in our organic green tea with citrus fruits, Lovely Morning. The kick of citrus associated with that of maté of our Lovely Morning make every morning sweeter. At Kusmi, we have a theory: Jean Jacques Goldman would probably never have written “encore un matin” if he had drunk our green tea made from maté Lovely Morning.