Welp, ever since I’ve given up coffee on a bet with my girlfriend Tiff, I’ve been drinking a lot of yerba mate. What is yerba mate, you might ask? I might answer that it is a South American drink that is popular as heck in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. If you’re looking to find a new drink of choice, then perhaps this is it.
What is Yerba Mate?
To make some yerba mate, you pack some dried-up yerba mate tree leaves in a hollowed-out gourd (a lot of Uruguayans called it a mate). Then fill it up with hot water (many Uruguayans carry a thermos of hot water for just this reason). To drink it, put your bombilla (metal straw with a strainer at the bottom) in the gourd. Watch out, ’cause the metal straw can get hot.
Benefits o’ Yerba Mate
Some people claim that yerba mate can restore hair color, give athletes a boost, and detoxify your body. I don’t know about all that, but it does have antioxidants, plus saponins, which help out your immune system. There are also some other vitamins and minerals in it. It’s healthy, plus it won’t stain your teeth like coffee. Another plus is you don’t have to wait for it to steep like normal tea, just pour it in and you’re ready.
“Green” Benefits of Yerba Mate
A lot of yerba mate is shade-grown in the Amazon rain forest, meaning it’s grown beneath the natural rain forest canopy. This is good because it provides locals with some money without them having to resort to destroying their rain forest.
The most popular brand of yerba mate in Uruguay was Canarias. I brought back two large packs of it. It’s cheaper down there than it is in the U.S. (naturally), but there may be some other, domestic brands of yerba mate if you look. Once I run out of my Canarias, I’ll see if I can find some domestic yerba mate.
Oh, also…
Yerba Mate has a celebrity who endorses it…
January 11th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
you can try yerbayerba.com for all your mate needs
January 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I might try that after I run out my yerba mate from Uruguay.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:04 am
We need to buy every year Yerba Mate,Bombillas and Calabas.
I need even 25kg of Yerbe Mate in 5mm. size/cut.
Regards,
Mahinda Peduru-Aratchi
http://www.lankate.se
‘
January 5th, 2009 at 8:38 am
It is extremely potent physical and mental energy aid. Will give you the strength of a horse while preventing heart attack. That's how I powered through a particular gig powering up and down stairs with heavy gear when everyone else was dropping like flies. New studies show it to reduce atherosclerosis too. Some studies say it helps cause cancer. Don't drink the roasted stuff or with "con palo" then you'll be fine. The green stuff without wood stems that hasn't been toasted is fine.