Yerba Mate

What Is Yerba Mate?

The meaning of the name yerba mate can be broken down as such:

Yerba (yair-buh) – is the Spanish word for Herb.

Mate (mah-tay) is from the Native American Guarani language, meaning Cup.

Yerba Mate, thus, means Herb of the Cup.

Yerba mate is also frequently referred to as the "tea of the gods" and is the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil, a highly nutritious beverage that is touted to promote physical stamina, mental alertness, and overall great health. Yerba mate, like tea, coffee, cacao, cola, and guarana, contains a significant amount of caffeine, which explains its reputation as a potent stimulant. Yerba mate is so popular in South America, that it is consumed 6 to 1 over coffee.

Unlike other tea types, yerba mate does not come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, rather, it comes from a shrub of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae), Ilex paraguariensis A, being its botanical name. Making yerba mate entails handpicking the leaves and young twigs of the Ilex paraguariensis A plant, drying them in a controlled environment, then aging them for one year in cedar containers to add complexity to their flavour. Yerba mate is sold either as loose-leaf tea, in teabags, or bottled as a drink. The highest quality yerba mate is grown in the shade in the rainforest away from direct sunlight, which allows the leaves to retain more of their nutrients and flavour than those grown exposed to the sun’s rays.

Yerba mate is reputed to offer very distinct health benefits including supporting healthy immune function, promoting cardiovascular health, helping to balance glycemia, and cholesterol, as well as aiding weight loss.

Yerba Mate - Taste, Texture, Aroma

The aroma of yerba mate has been described as giving off distinct camphor or eucalyptus notes, with a fair amount of lavender and artemisia. It also has slightly astringent and bitter notes. From a flavour standpoint, brewed yerba mate resembles an infusion of vegetables, herbs, and grass, and is strong, bitter, and vegetal all at once. If it is prepared in the traditional way (as described below) yerba mate has a strong and pungent flavour, with significant earthiness, not unlike green tea.

Preparing a Perfect Cup of Yerba Mate

Preparing yerba mate is nothing like brewing most other types of tea since the infused leaves/herbs are not strained out from the water. Rather, the beverage is sipped through a metal straw with small holes at the bottom which doubles as a sieve.

Making yerba mate entails the use of a gourd, or “mate”, in which the loose-leaf yerba is placed and shaken, crushed, or ground. Cold water is then poured into the gourd a little at a time, allowing the leaves to gradually absorb the liquid and prepare them for infusion. Hot water (never boiling) is then poured over the leaves to fill the gourd, and the mixture is left to infuse, resulting in tea-like beverage that is somewhat reminiscent of green tea. Sugar may or may not be added to yerba mate, according to taste.

Active Compounds in Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a highly nutritional drink and contains an exceptionally wide variety of polyphenols such as quercetin and rutin. Yerba mate also contains a range of minerals such as potassium, magnesium and manganese. Some of the other potent compounds in yerba mate include:

Caffeine – The caffeine content of yerba mate varies between 0.7% and 1.7% of dry weight, versus 0.4–9.3% in tea leaves, 2.5–7.6% in guarana, and up to 3.2% in ground coffee. The caffeine in yerba mate contributes significantly to its strong, bitter, and pungent flavour profile, and is known to enhance focus, concentration, and mental acuity.

Theobromine – Is an alkaloid typically found in cocoa that lends yerba mate much of its bitter taste. The theobromine content in yerba mate varies from 0.3% to 0.9%, which helps provide a stimulating yet calming effect on the nervous system and helps uplift mood.

Theophylline – Like caffeine and theobromine, theophylline belongs to a class of compounds known as xanthines which are found naturally in black and green tea, green coffee, unsweetened natural cocoa, and yerba mate. It helps promote respiratory health and relaxes the body.

The above three combined compounds are why yerba mate is often described as having the strength of coffee (caffeine), the euphoria of dark chocolate (theobromine), and the relaxing effects of green tea (theophylline), all in one.