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Crafting Yerba Mate with a Gourd and Bombilla
Exploring the world of Loose Leaf Yerba Mate opens up a myriad of infusion possibilities. Our personal favorite? The timeless charm of using a traditional gourd and bombilla.
Enter the world of Tereré, the ice-cold cousin of yerba mate. Adored in Paraguay and Southern Brazil, it's a delight for beginners and a refreshing twist for all.
Crafting Yerba Mate with a Gourd and Bombilla
From morning energizers to cool afternoon refreshments, the French press is a versatile companion for your yerba mate adventures.
Transform your coffee machine into a yerba mate brewer! Percolators, Espresso, and Single Serve machines adapt perfectly. Just remember to run a water cycle first to clear any coffee residues and pre-moisten your Yerba Mate for optimal infusion.
Tea infusers, from mug strainers to tea balls, are wonderful tools for yerba mate infusion. Moisten the yerba with cool water before adding hot water for a perfect brew.
Find your ideal strength with 1 to 3 tablespoons of Yerba Mate per cup of water.
Steep for 4 to 10 minutes with hot water, or 2 to 5 hours for cold brewing. Tailor the time to your taste!
Yerba Mate thrives in hot (65 to 80 °C) or cold water. Remember, boiling water is a no-go – it scorches the nutrients and embitters the brew.
The ideal water temperature for brewing Yerba Mate Tea ranges between 65 and 85 degrees Celsius (149 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit). Exceeding this range can impair the active compounds and nutrients in the leaves, much like with green tea. To achieve the perfect infusion, it's best to use water heated between 70 to 80 degrees Celsius (158 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit), which effectively steeps the leaves without burning the essential nutrients. For more tips on preparing Yerba Mate, check out our guide on "4 Mistakes to Avoid When Brewing Yerba Mate.
Just like green tea, the active elements and nutrients in the yerba Mate plant burns when it’s exposed to a temperature over 100 degrees. Water at 70 to 80 degrees will infuse the leaves perfectly without burning the key nutrients.
When you infuse Yerba Mate in the traditional way with a gourd and bombilla, it can be re-infused up to 20 times, depending on the infusion time and temperature of the water.
When you infuse Yerba Mate with a french press or tea infuser, you can infuse it 2 or 3 times just as any regular tea.
Find more information on how to prepare Yerba Mate on our preparation page.
It is not recommended to reuse an infusion the next day. It will likely have oxidized, and the taste will not be optimal.
The inclusion of stems in our loose leaf Yerba Mate is a deliberate choice, rooted in traditional practices and the pursuit of balanced flavor. Known as the 'classic cut', this blend is widely favored in Argentina for its ability to harmonize the inherent bitterness of Yerba Mate leaves. The stems act as natural sweeteners, softening the sharpness and creating a more pleasant taste profile.
While some producers have begun offering stem-free blends, we at Mateina believe that the inclusion of stems offers a superior taste and overall experience. This is because the stems contain a higher concentration of theobromine, a stimulant known for its soothing effects. This compound complements the caffeine in the leaves, resulting in a balanced, uplifting yet relaxing effect that distinguishes our Yerba Mate from others.
The caffeine content in our Yerba Mate varies depending on the form and preparation. For a cup of hot brewed Yerba Mate, you can expect approximately 80 to 150 mg of naturally occurring caffeine. If you're using a traditional gourd and bombilla for infusion, and utilizing about 50 grams of loose-leaf Yerba Mate, the caffeine content can range from 150 to 200 mg, especially if the leaves are infused multiple times.
In our ready-to-drink canned products, the caffeine content is tailored to suit different preferences: our sparkling versions contain about 80 mg of caffeine per can, while the non-sparkling varieties have around 130 mg per can. For those who prefer tea bags, each cup made with one of our Yerba Mate tea bags contains roughly 25 mg of caffeine. This variety in caffeine content across our product line ensures that you can choose the level of energy boost that best fits your needs and preferences.
Morning or early afternoon is the ideal time to enjoy Yerba Mate, especially between 1 and 4 pm, to maintain high focus and dodge the afternoon slump. If you're sensitive to caffeine, it's best to avoid Yerba Mate 6 hours before bedtime. And for an enhanced workout experience, enjoy Yerba Mate 30 to 60 minutes before your exercise session!
Yerba Mate is more than just a beverage; it's a holistic health enhancer, rich in antioxidants, nutrients, caffeine, and Theobromine. Known for providing a balanced energy lift, Yerba Mate also sharpens mental focus without the typical caffeine-related side effects. Here are some key benefits:
Explore these and more benefits on our “The Benefits of Drinking Yerba Mate” page.