Cooking With Yerba Mate
The popularity of yerba mate continues to grow around the world, and as it does many talented chefs and bakers are creating recipes that utilize this unique ingredient.
- Yerba mate can be added to the batter to make a fish tempura.
- Sweetened yerba mate makes a delicious ingredient in muffin mixes and it tastes great when paired with orange or other citrus flavored muffins.
- With just yerba mate, milk, and sugar, butter and glucose, it is possible to make a sweet and rich toffee.
What Are The Benefits Of Yerba Mate
One of the main reasons people love yerba mate is its stimulating and energizing effect, the same reason people like to have coffee or tea in the morning . The caffeine contained in yerba mate stimulates the central nervous system and increases focus and energy levels ideal for undertaking any activity in your daily routine.
However, the caffeine in yerba mate is more gentle that, for example, energy drinks. These commercial drinks sometimes have so much caffeine and sugar that they cause insomnia, nervousness, tachycardia and nausea. Read this comparison between yerba mate and energy drinks.
Beyond that, yerba mate is considered one of the best and healthiest drinks in the world. Its antioxidant power protects cells and improves all body functions. It contains almost all the micro nutrients needed by the human body,like vitamins, essential minerals and other nutrients.
Yerba mate is also known to have medicinal properties, improve the immune system and prevent diseases like diabetes, arteriosclerosis, Parkinsons disease, colon cancer, Alzheimers and cardiovascular problems. Yerba mate also acts to protect the bones and to lower bad cholesterol.
Does Yerba Mate Make You Poop
Yes, apparently yerba mate can actually help you poop! Reports show that yerba mate has laxative properties that can help reduce bloating, soften stools and help eliminate the bowels. Yerba mate is also high in caffeine, which is known to help with stimulating bowel movements. Yerba mate also contains lots of health boosting benefits including caffeoyl derivatives, polyphenols, saponins and xanthines, all of which work in keeping the body younger, healthier and more energised.
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Barriers Between People Break Down Increasing Understanding
As described above, the traditional way of drinking Yerba Mate is highly strange. You use a cup , a filtered metal straw , water and loose-leaf herb. Whats even more peculiar is that the person who prepares this weird concoction is called the cebador, or server. The cebador takes his or her time preparing the mate, to make sure its just right for whomever theyre sharing it with, and, after drinking the first cup of it, which is usually the most bitter, they then refill and pass it to anyone whos foolish enough to share it with them. When people drink mate, they usually take their time, chat with one another, have long conversations and end up better understanding each others points of view instead of remaining ignorant of how their friends, family and even strangers feel. Who in their right mind would ever want that? Opening your mind and seeing other peoples points of view? No thank you! Instead, people should stick to more solitary beverages, like coffee, tea, sodas and juices that you can enjoy alone without interacting with other people. The best mind is a closed mind, obviously.
How To Drink Yerba Mate
As I said, yerba mate has been around for centuries, its a traditional tea. So, like matcha, it comes with a specific way to drink it.
But, of course, yerba mate can also be enjoyed like any other tea. You can use your regular tea making methods, like metal strainers, tea bags, or even a tea press!
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The Traditional Way – What You’ll Need
To enjoy yerba mate the traditional way, you need to buy the appropriate gear a gourd and a bombilla.
A gourd is a large, hard-shelled fruit, but theyre not all edible. Its kind of like a squash. Theyre used to make a whole bunch of different things, but in this case, they hollow it out and make a mug for tea.
Nowadays you can also find metal and even wood gourds that offer different flavour profiles to your tea.
A bombilla is a filtered straw. Its instead of using modern filtering methods, like metal steepers and bags.
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How To Prepare It
Fill your gourd 2/3 with yerba mate loose leaf tea. Youre going to cover the top with your palm and shake it around. This brings up all the smaller pieces of tea so they dont get stuck in your bombilla.
Then, tilt your gourd on a 45-degree angle, pour some cold/ lukewarm water over your tea. This will protect the leaves, and get them ready for the hot water youre about to pour over them. After this, place your bombilla on top of the leaves.
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Do You Need A Gourd And Bombilla For Yerba Mate
You do not need a gourd and bombilla to make a great cup of yerba mate. You can easily make a cup of mate tea using a regular tea cup or tea pot. Lots of brands sell tea bag mate and so you may not even need a tea pot or any special steeping equipment at all. Traditionally, yerba mate is served in a special cup known as a gourd. A gourd can also be known as a cabaça, calabaza, cuia or a porongo. This cup contains a special straw that filters out the leaves, this straw is known as a bombilla . Gourds are usually made with wood or locally grown vine fruit. The straw is usually metal, however, many gourds and bombillas these days are made with an array of materials.
Read more: How to make a yerba mate sour cocktail
Yerbae Enhanced Sparkling Water Refreshing And Light
Yerbae enhanced sparkling water is a product with zero calories. It tastes quite similar to normal lemon-flavored sparkling water and has a mild taste of yerba mate and tea.
12 oz Cans
- Rich in Antioxidants
- Sweetened with Stevia Leaf Extract
Yerbae was founded in 2017 with a vision of bringing people a clean beverage enhanced with the power of yerba mate. Their products are non-GMO and are enhanced with yerba mate, white tea extract, and guarana extract for providing energy.
Each 12 oz can contains 100mg of caffeine, while the 16 oz cans have 160 mg.
This sparkling energy drink is available in 12 flavors.
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My First Time Preparing Yerba Mate
If you follow a traditional recipe, it says to fill your gourd 2/3 with yerba mate thats A LOT of tea! I didnt realize how much tea it actually was until I kept spooning it into the gourd.
Like what if I dont like it, or I cant drink that much of it, and then it all goes to waste?
So, I couldnt bring myself to fill it with that much tea, I only bought 100 grams to begin with. I ended up filling it about 1/3 of the way instead .
All the other steps were fairly straight forward. Shake it up so that all the dust particles and smaller pieces come to the top. This is an important step so that these smaller pieces dont get stuck in your bombilla.
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After shaking the leaves, I poured in cold water first to prepare the leaves for the hot water. I also let my boiling water cool a bit before pouring that in as well.
The only problem was my bombilla placement. I only read after that youre not supposed to move it once its in place. So I had a few pieces come up with my tea I didnt enjoy that very much.
Where Can I Get Guayusa
The simple answer: come on down to Ecuador!
Ok, maybe thats not actually the simplest answer for most people. But seriously, you can get it anywhere here. Its a super popular drink in Ecuador.
Otherwise, youll probably be able to find it in specialty tea shops in the US and Canada. You can also find it on online platforms like Amazon. Thats probably the most convenient option.
If you want to pick some up in North America, take a close look at the label. A lot of the guayusa teas out there are mixed with mild sweeteners. Honestly, its still pretty good, its just not as natural.
If you want the pure stuff, though, you might need to look a little harder. One thats a good company to buy from is Waykana. They dont add anything to the tea, and its organic and responsibly sourced. .
There are a ton of other claimed benefits of guayusa.
- 20x the antioxidants of açai berries
- Doesnt increase blood pressure or anxiety like coffee does
- The amino acid L-theanine boosts cognitive function memory and learning ability
- Polyphenols, flavonoids and saponins reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune system
- Chlorogenic acid boosts weight loss
- It doesnt stain your teeth
Basically, its the key to world peace and happiness.
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What Is Guayusa What Does It Taste Like
Guayusa technically isnt a tea. Its made from the caffeinated Amazonian holly tree. Its not related to the real tea plant, camellia sinensis, which is what green and black teas are made from.
To us laypeople, however, its a tea.
Its a classic example one of those things that has a million times more health benefits than anything else known to man, discovered in the bowels of the Amazon by ancient tribespeople, etc etc etc.
I really like the flavor of guayusa. Even dried, it tastes fresh and grassy . Its not bitter at all like many other teas. Thats because it doesnt have tannins. Instead, guayusa tastes clean, silky, and has a sweet finish.
Personally, Im an absolute coffee lover. Ecuador makes some great coffee, so Im never going to give up my morning cup or three. But for an afternoon pick me up, this is my new go-to.
Its got just as much caffeine as coffee, but its delivered in a really energizing way. Unlike coffee, you dont get the jitters or the crash. More on why this is later.
Is Yerba Mate Healthy
Yerba mate contains lots of health boosting goodness. Yerba mate contains properties such as caffeoyl derivatives, polyphenols, saponins and xanthines. The caffeoyl derivatives and polyphenols are the healthy youth boosting antioxidants that can help to eliminate free radicals from the body. The saponins have have anti inflammatory, antibacterial and immune boosting properties and may also aid in lowering cholesterol. Xanthines are the stimulants, this includes the caffeine found in the leaf. Caffeine can help boost energy levels and mental alertness too.
Read more: How to make a bulletproof yerba mate
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Why Our Yerba Mate Is The Best
In order to preserve the nutritional value of the herb as well as its fresh green flavor, the farm that we receive our Yerba Mate from does not age it, unlike others which age their’s for one to two years, according to various regional traditions. By not aging the Mate the natural potency and vibrancy is preserved. Fresh Yerba Mate makes all the difference.
Drinking Yerba Mate Tea For The First Time
It is STRONG!! The smokey flavours of the gourd were all I tasted. It was like I was inhaling smoke, and you got a hint of tea at the end. It is possible that the strength of the smoke was because I didnt use enough tea to balance it out.
But, I cant imagine what wouldve happened if I did use more tea. The caffeine hit me like never before. And its not that Im not used to caffeine, I drink black tea every morning and sometimes coffee.
But the yerba mate gave me an insane boost. I was jumping off the walls.
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Bacteria That Causes Bad Breath Hate Yerba Mate
Have bad breath and want to keep it? Dont drink Yerba Mate. We repeat, do not drink Yerba Mate if you have bad breath and want the fetid stench of rotting bodies in the middle of a humid summer to continue inhabiting your mouth like your roommates best friend who plans to move soon, but never does. Research has found that polyphenols, antioxidants which Yerba Mate has at least 11 of, have a significant effect on bad breath. But, lets allow WebMD to spell it out for you:
In the bad breath study, researchers combined black tea extracts with three species of bacteria in petri dishes for 48 hours. They compared the results with bacteria that sat alone. In all cases, tea polyphenols inhibited the growth of bacteria by 30% and reduced the production of compounds that cause bad breath.
And while the study refers to black tea, Yerba Mate is known to have more antioxidants than any other tea, leading us to conclude that the high amount of polyphenols in Yerba Mate also decrease bad breath. So, when you plan on going out on that big date, make sure to not drink any Yerba Mate, were sure your date swoons at the thought of kissing someone whose breath smells like post-gym sneakers. Supposedly its a millennial thing, but who really knows.
Yerba Mate Vs Green Tea Which One To Choose
Both yerba mate and green tea are healthy and energizing drinks that have been enjoyed by humans for centuries. While these two drinks are similar in some ways, they originate from opposite sides of the globe and are made with different plants.
I like both and thought it would be interesting to compare them.
Which one provides more health benefits? How is their taste different from each other?
Which one has more caffeine?
This article will provide you with a thorough comparison of yerba mate vs green tea and how to use these drinks to your benefit.
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Advantages Of Yerba Mate Energy Drinks
Here are some of the things why I love yerba mate energy drinks:
Nice Energy Boost: Yerba mate contains plenty of caffeine. However, its effect is different compared to coffee. You will feel energized and focused without getting jittery. Also, the effect lasts for many hours and comes down slowly without a crash.
Refreshing: There are a few things more refreshing on a hot summer day than an ice-cold yerba mate energy drink made with natural, high-quality ingredients.
A Healthier Choice: Yerba mate energy drinks contain plenty of antioxidants and other healthy compounds instead of artificial ingredients. If you are looking for something more healthy than the usual options then go with yerba mate!
Convenient: Just grab one from the fridge and pop it open. Or pack a few in the cooler bag for a picnic or exercise session.
If you want to know more about energy drinks in general, check out this excellent book on Amazon: Are You a Monster or a Rock Star? A Guide to Energy Drinks
May Protect Against Infections
Yerba mate may help prevent infections from bacteria, parasites, and fungi.
One test-tube study found that a high dose of yerba mate extract deactivated E. coli, a bacteria that causes food poisoning symptoms like stomach cramps and diarrhea (
20 ).
Furthermore, in a 12-week study in overweight people, those given 3 grams of yerba mate powder per day lost an average of 1.5 pounds . They also reduced their waist-to-hip ratio by 2%, which indicates lost belly fat .
In comparison, the participants given a placebo gained an average of 6.2 pounds and increased their waist-to-hip ratio by 1% over the same 12-week period .
SUMMARY Yerba mate may reduce appetite, boost metabolism, and increase the amount of fat burned for fuel. This could help you lose weight.
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How To Prepare Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is traditionally served in a container called a gourd, also known as a calabash.
Its commonly sipped through a metal straw that has a filter on its lower end to strain out the leaf fragments.
To prepare mate, fill the bottom third of the calabash with dried or toasted mate leaves prior to adding hot water.
If you do not own a calabash, you can prepare it in a French press.
The tea is often served with burnt sugar, lemon juice, or milk and can be topped off with hot water several times before using new leaves to make a new batch.
Although traditionally consumed hot, yerba mate may also be served cold, especially in hot climates.
SUMMARY Yerba mate can be consumed hot or cold and is prepared similarly to other loose teas. Its traditionally served in a gourd, or calabash.
What Does The Word Yerba Mate Mean
Yerba is the Spanish word for Herb. Mate is from the Native American Guarani language, and it means Cup. Yerba Mate means Herb of the Cup.
Many North Americans think Yerba Mate is the brand-name of a tea company. Still others refer to Yerba Mate drinks as Yerbas. Both of these are incorrect. When referring to the actual tree, Argentines say Yerba Mate. When referring to the dried herb ready for brewing, they say Yerba. And when they are talking about the drink, they say Mate.
Another common mistake is people spelling Yerba Mate with an accent over the final e. This actually translates as “I killed the herb.”
While you don’t need to speak like a local to enjoy yerba mate, we hope this helps you feel more comfortable!
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