Yerba Mate has a unique and robust flavour. It's strong, earthy, and herbaceous with a distinctly bittersweet finish, somewhat like a very strong green tea. The flavour mellows with subsequent infusions.
Yerba Mate contains caffeine, but its effect is often described as different from coffee. It typically has more caffeine than most teas but less than a strong cup of coffee. Many users report a sustained, smooth energy boost without the 'jitters' associated with coffee.
This is the traditional way to drink Yerba Mate. The 'gourd' (or 'mate') is the cup, traditionally made from a hollowed-out calabash gourd. The 'bombilla' is a metal straw with a filtered end that allows you to drink the infusion without swallowing the tea leaves.
Yes, absolutely. While the gourd is traditional, you can easily brew Yerba Mate in a French press, a standard teapot with an infuser, or even a coffee machine. Use about 1 tablespoon of leaves per cup and steep for 3-5 minutes.
Using boiling water will scorch the leaves, resulting in a very bitter and unpleasant taste. The ideal water temperature for Yerba Mate is between 70-80°C. This extracts the flavour and compounds smoothly without creating excessive bitterness.
Technically, no. 'Tea' comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Yerba Mate comes from a species of holly tree, Ilex paraguariensis. While it is prepared and consumed like a tea, botanically it is a different plant.
