BrainReady Blog - Comment
Brilliant article! I had dabbled with yerba mate a couple years ago and liked it, but then when all of the findings about how healthy coffee is for you came out, I went back to coffee. Now I'm definitely getting back into yerba mate and will just drink both
I think out of the many varieties and brands of mate the one that stands out in consistent good quality and taste is Rosamonte.
I love mate and I love a capucino with soya milk too. I drink mate almost daily and often with my friends.
One important think you guys forgot to mention in the article is how important the preparation of mate is. It is absolutely vital not to boil the water. In fact for the herb to release maximum amounts of its nutrients and flavours one needs the water to be 84 degrees centigrade and not warmer. I also recomend you to get yourself the bombilla and mate (gourd) because it makes for a stronger and tastier brew compared to say made in a coffee press...
My latest project it to mix yerba mate with matcha green tea into what I call yerba matcha.
Be well and happy!
I had no idea that all my coffee drinking has been a lie all my life. All this time I drank it for the enjoyment of its flavor, and all I should have been doing is taking a pill.
Stupid me.
To poster 'Swag' above: sounds like you missed the point of the article, or something? The brainready article makes it clear that ALL of these natural drinks are great, have lots of health properties, and are enjoyable to drink - taste, knowledge of their health benefits, the whole combination. You can drink whatever you want for flavor, as most do with coffees AND teas. It's just also nice to know about the other benefits that might come along with that tasty beverage, particularly in comparison to other alternatives out there.
Lighten up.
Pues si el viejo mate esta de moda!! jajaja y nos querian vender "te verde"!!, pues miren que aca en argentina no le hacemos asco a nada y al mate lo tomamos con "te verde" y cafe al mismo tiempo, porque elegir?? si lo mesclamos sabe bien igual y tiene todas las propiedades al mate lo podes mezclar con lo que mas te guste. Saludos desde Argentina!!
I believe that Yerba mate can also help with digestion of food. While visiting Argentina, with their extremely caloric-rich style of eating I noticed a peculiar lack of overweight people (as compared to North Americans). I've seen it listed as an ingredient on a diet pill that can be purchased at WalMart stores here. Ya think??
que bueno que lo mesclan en argentina porque a mi me gusta mesclarlo tambien.
¿Pero crees que mezclar mate con cafe es buen idea? No sé... En bolivia lo mezclan con mate de coca. ¿No he provado ya, pero si me ayuda respirar puede ser bueno no? Por que nos hablamos en español?¿?¿?
cuidaos y viva la yerba!
Mischa
Have you seen fortified coffee? Particularly SPAVA Clarity?
Haven't heard of SPAVA Clarity (or fortified coffee), can you tell us more about it Michael?
I'm a bit dubious about 'fortified' concoctions as one can really 'fortify' anything by adding extra elements, even if natural. Some people feel that this takes away the natural balance of nutrients?
Lisa
Hi all, this is a fantastic article about Yerba Mate and it seems that the other articles here at Brain Ready are also excellent. A rare find compared to other web sites from what I can see so thank you Brain Ready.
I am a Mate fan and have found that EcoTeas 'unsmoked' yerba mate is the best. Apparently they do not dry their leaves over smoke/fire and rather use air drying, so the tea is not overly smoked like most others I have tried. It also tastes and looks fresher.
Eduard
I wonder when the analysis of caffeine content was done on mate, how strong it was brewed. A friend who turned me on to mate began drinking it in Argentina. When she saw little mate tea bags for sale in an american health food store, she just laughed. She fills her gourd with enough mate for 20 or 30 tea bags! It would seem to me that the traditional mate drinker is getting a lot more nutrient and caffeine than the american who is making it in an espresso maker or with a tea bag.
Great points, everyone! And regarding tea bags versus larger amounts of Mate used in traditional gourd preparation, that's a great point Kealan; we've found that we prefer to use a fairly large amount of yerba mate in a teapot with strainer/holder or french press (or gourd), far more than is contained in teabags, even multiple teabags. The key seems to be the combination of not-too-hot water temp (not boiling! 170 degrees F. works well), large amount of yerba mate, and not steeping too long (about 5-7 minutes seems to work well). The resulting strong, concentrated grassy brew is just wonderful, especially with a good quality yerba mate. It is then also great put on ice.
Lastly, yerba mate really needs NO SWEETENERS! This whole 'sweetening' phenomenon is somewhat uniquely American thing and once one pryes themselves from this "everything must be sweet!" addiction, a world of taste opens up. Mate tastes complex, smoky (even the 'unsmoked' varieties), earthy and even mildly sweet, naturally. Don't ruin it by adding sugar or even worse, an artifical sweetener.
The BrainReady Team
Or, if you do use a sweetener, use something healthy like Siraitia grosvenori extract (antioxidant properties, 500 times sweeter than sugar, but not generally available in the USA in extract form, due to the whole gourd being GRAS --generally recognized as safe by the FDA-- and the Chinese importers probably not wanting to screw that up), or Stevia. I use the "Stevia Clear" extract, as the powders don't mix well with water. Nonetheless, I think that turmeric tea and Mate don't taste as good unsweetened, and since I'm drinking the sweetened soy anyway, I might as well add some of the teas, and get a much greater health and flavor benefit. But that's just for me. If you feel you have to never enjoy certain less harsh flavors in order to be a man, then knock yourself out. I drink maybe 5 sweetened glasses of various teas per day, and one to three unsweetened ones. There are an amazing number of choices these days for those who are epicurean, as am I. BTW, don't let congress pass "Alimentarius codex" or we will all need to get prescriptions in order to buy these various kinds of teas. "A.C." is congress's plan to regulate all the drugs that they failed to regulate when Americans first decided that medicinal property rights were negotiable, in 1907. Have a nice day.
I too have been making an "Yerba-Matcha" morning drink. I know it's considered bad form, but I also mix in a teaspoon of Xylitol. Its sweetness compliments the flavor of the drink beautifully and Xylitol is prooven to reduce microbial life on the teeth (plaque) and in the body (yeast).
It´s great!, keeps you up without making you go hyper.
I´ve been drinking it all my life, since I´m Argentinian, it has NO side effects at all.(avoid it if you have kidney problems since it is a mild diuretic)
Mate is alkaline, so its no surprise that is has antioxidant properties. its also economic, and the brew can be mixed with other stuff.
I guess I´ll try the Yerba-Matcha myself. 
Been drinking mate for about 6 months and it's been an incredible discovery. I'm drinking it in a gourd. Amazing source of energy and clarity. I'm too sensitive to drink coffee; mate is a whole different world. It's very nice mixed with organic peppermint and spearmint in the afternoon. When I brew it like that I do it in a French Press and add a bit of Stevia. My favourite kind is one called Playadito from Argentina. Be well!
Actually, the pronunciation varies from place-to-place, but only Americans pronounce it "yair-ba mah-tay."
In Argentina, which is really the matte capital of the world (and therefore gets first rights, as far as naming the drink goes), it's pronounced, "share-ba mah-tay."
Another aspect that seems to be left out here is the hospitable side of matte, especially in Argentina--but also in Peru, Brazil, and other countries in South America. It's often used to welcome guests into one's home, and is passed from person to person for each sip. Take a sip, pass it on; take a sip, pass it on; add some more hot water, take a sip, pass it on.
This specific social aspect is very important to many matte drinkers in Argentina and the surrounding area.
In a few places, such as Peru, you'll find matte that has been infused with coca leaves (which can also be dried and treated to make cocaine)--these leaves give chewers/drinkers a boost of energy, heightened immune systems, and a wealth of other health benefits...the leaves even contain elements that clean one's teeth!
As someone who has traveled to Argentina and many of the countries in the same area, I'm happy to see a website telling everyone about matte--let's just hope that America's consumer take on things won't result in a corporate matte world (ie "Starbucks").
Also, I believe it's a misrepresentation to say that sweetening matte is a wholly American practice; in the time I spent in Argentina, most families added a pinch (just a pinch!) of cane sugar to the top of the matte. This lets the drinker decide, when the gourd is passed, whether he wants to taste the sugar--in which case he would drink from a higher point in the gourd.
Considering Matcha and Mate both have a grassy taste, I wonder if they would be well mixed together?? The combined bebfits would certainly be intersting...
Maybe mix with coffee and mint??
Would like 2 c some recipes with Yerba Mate....
Well, here (Argentina) is for "weaks" to drink it sweet, but actually people use to add everything to the mate (PLEASE, NO ACCENT IS JUST "MATE").
The only safe way to avoid gaining weight is using Stevia, herb or liquid, 100% natural.
If you like bitter, you can add lemon slice, orange, peppermint, poleo, coffee as a coworker of mine does, etc.
Oh, and many studies tend to show that mateine is differente than caffeine.
Mate it´s ideal for students, i remember studying (law) for 12 hours in a row with little breaks (no more than 10 mins like every 2 hours) with mate.
Well, i could go on and on.
To keep short, you should see the indians from Paraguay, they old old old people with a very defficient diet, they manage to survive with mate.
And as anecdote, gauchos used to live with meat and mate only (and together), the meat where the cattle they could managed to steal in the open Pampa.
OK, I may be an unrepentant Barbarian, but I
think straight yerba mate tastes about like a prairie-dog's nest!
I brew the stuff by the pound, in a gallon or two of water, filter it through whatever is appropriate, add a goodly double-shot of honey, and freeze it in 2-quart containers. Pop it in the fridge, and use it as a ready-made concentrate for a cool summer drink. Just add cold water. For the real wussies I add a big double-glug of grape or other juice. I find that other people LIKE it this way, and so they will BUY it, DRINK it, & ENJOY ITS BENEFITS! Give it to a gringo straight, and they will never taste the stuff again. In fact, they will probably remember you as being the source of their punishment and credit you accordingly. (Remember that guy who bragged on his home-brewed swill and suckered YOU into taking a BIG mug of the stuff? Uhh-huh!You STILL remember!)
Sometimes I mix to taste and then freeze half-full containers of ready-to-drink. Before leaving for the fields in the morning, I fill the jug with chilled more-of-the-same. Then when we shade-up for a break during the heat of the day I am ready to offer a cool, healthy, refreshing drink to mi amigos. After all, the Yerba Mate is, like other fine food and drink, a celebration of its own, and if we lose "el gusto de vida" we have lost much.
I've been drinking Mate for over twelve years. I LOVE it! I drink it without anything added, hot and cold. If you put a tea bag in your water bottle you can drink it all day long! Many South Americans have shared their Mate in the form of tea bags and loose-leaf with me. I don't see a difference, personally. Guayaki is my favorite brand and you can get it at Trader Joes. You can also buy it in Latin American grocery stores here in the U.S., usually in big cities. A friend of mine told me once that Mate tastes like drinking cigarettes! Since I don't smoke, I wouldn't know, but I've always felt it tasted like chewing on Alfalfa. Not everyone likes it but those of us who do become addicts. Also, Tully's coffee is one of the few major cafe chains that carries Mate. Yay! Thanks for the article. P.S. I drink a lot of green and herbal teas, a few soy lattes each week, but Mate pretty much every day, all day.
Every weekday morning, I make a drink that I refer to as "chia mate": yerba mate, chia seed, mint, ginger, and a little sweetener. I find this combo gives me a good lift for the morning, and keeps me going all day at work. I don't mind the flavour of straight yerba mate, but the mint, ginger, and sweetener increase the appeal significantly.
It is worth noting that mate has been associated w/increased mouth, esophogal... cancers - try googling yerba mate and cancer. To me, it does seem like tobacco somehow (the taste and smell), so I wonder as to its drawbacks as well. But the gourd ritual and slight clarity and overall fun are great..
I liked this article- it was interesting in the end how the author trancended "polarized thinking"- either/or. Many people interested in health, especially doctors, are prone to polarized thinking.
a good article, but a few criticisms...
Drinking Mate is a longtime traditional social activity in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
it is not a longtime tradition of mexico—that would be cacao.
"Most Americans wouldn’t like it the way Argentinians drink it, it’s too earthy and grassy tasting," said David Karr, founder of the online herb vendor Guayaki. For that reason, many sellers are blending Yerba Mate with mint, vanilla, orange or other flavorings.
yes maté amargo 'bitter' is touted in argentina, but maté dulce 'sweet' is just as popular and citrus and mint are often added over there (with or without sweetener). it is not "blasphemous"—that's ridiculous. it is often brewed with milk (not in the traditional wooden gourd, but in little metal ones). i say start with a little sweetener and then wean yourself off of it. if brewing maté traditionally, the longer you let it sit in the gourd, the more bitter it becomes, even after just a few minutes—so drink it quickly if you don't want it to be extremely bitter.
one thing that wasn't touched on is that MATE BREWS IN COLD WATER! if you don't believe me, just try it. in fact, typical way of preparing a gourd is to use tepid water first, before the hot water. i have been enjoying my maté with cold milk today, and i just read somewhere about brewing it with lemonade—sounds intriguing—i'll have to try it.
finally, in response to somebody above who seemed rather adamant that maté have an accent over the 'e'—he is half right. it is written with an accent over the 'e'—it is said with the accent over the 'a'. why this is, i don't know, but i speculate that it comes from an association with té 'tea' even though the incidence of the syllable is purely coincidental. orthography—the way words are spelled—and speech separate dynamic systems that inform each other and cannot be subjected to top-down one-size-fits-all rules.
enough linguistic philosophy—enjoy all
I have been in Argentina and have loved drinking mate here (in fact I stopped drinking coffee while I was here and made the switch!).
However, one thing the article didn't treat is that mate is said to contain MAO inhibitors which (in large quantities, at least) can interact negatively with people who take SSRI antidepressants. Can anyone report on this?
I drink yerba mate everyday since I was a kid. It contains 196 active compounds, compared to only 144 for green tea.
Researchers at the Pasteur Institute concluded " yerba mate contains practically all the vitamins necessary to sustain life".
I drink it especially before meals and it takes that "crazy hunger" feeling away. You definitely eat less and you are still well-fed.
One last thing I'd recommend... if you try it go organic using the traditional way.
Here's a slide show on how to brew it : www.mymateworld.com/step1.htm
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