Are you looking for information about mate tea? Have you fallen for its taste, or have you not heard of it yet?

Mate, also known as yerba mate, is a stimulating drink that is made by pouring water on the crushed leaves of Ilex paraguariensis. Ilex paraguariensis is an evergreen tree from South America that can grow to 15m. Whole branches with their leaves are harvested for mate tea and dried after harvesting. After the leaves are ground up and the stem residue removed, the maturation process begins. The maturation period for mate tea lasts at least 35-40 days, in some cases a year. A temperature of 50-60 degrees is maintained during maturation.

Mate Tea and Its Effects

Mate contains caffeine, which, together with other substances, stimulates the brain and boosts the organism more than tea or coffee. It has a mildly diuretic effect, assists digestion and helps get rid of fat layers.

Making Mate

Mate tea is traditionally made in a calabash (hollowed-out gourd) and it is drunk using a bombilla (metal or bamboo straw with a sieve at one end).

Original South American Way to Make Mate Tea

Pour 2-3 teaspoons of mate tea into the calabash and pour slightly warm water in, so that the leaves obtain a firm consistency. After a few minutes pour boiling water in and let it steep for 3 minutes. Carefully put the bombilla into the calabash and you can slowly enjoy the refreshing drink.

European Preparation of Mate

Use one teaspoon of mate tea for one cup and pour water at a temperature of around 80 degrees onto it. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes and then sieve. The longer you let mate tea steep, the stronger the tea will be and the bigger the boost it will give you.