{"id":10046,"date":"2019-05-02T11:20:20","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T15:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/?p=10046"},"modified":"2023-09-26T15:12:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T19:12:00","slug":"tea-101-what-is-yerba-mate-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/tea-101-what-is-yerba-mate-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"Tea 101: What is Yerba Mate Tea?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

So what\u2019s South America\u2019s secret to staying energized? Two words: yerba mate<\/u><\/a>. Pronounced “YER-ba MAH-tay”, this tasty, smooth-drinking herb made from the dried leaves of the rainforest holly plant is treasured among countries like Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. It\u2019s also a medicinal and cultural drink of ancient origins, first introduced to Europeans when the Guarani Indians of South America shared it with Spanish explorers. Yerba mate tea later became known as a \u201cdrink of friendship\u201d and has been a central part of South American social gatherings and daily life ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to try something new and exciting, then we think you\u2019re gonna have a blast exploring our amazing assortment of yerba mate<\/a> teas (which also includes similar energizing herbs like guayusa and yaupon<\/u><\/a>). Taste your way through traditional caffeinated infusions, hydrating iced teas, latte-ready pick-me-ups and fruity focus-boosting blends. And since mat\u00e9 is a social drink, why not order a few samples you\u2019re psyched to try and invite your besties to share in the discovery? Looks like you\u2019ve got some exploring to do\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of yerba mate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mat\u00e9 is often described as having the\nstrength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate\nall in one beverage. Talk about a triple threat, right? But the thing that makes\nthis antioxidant-rich caffeinated infusion truly special is the balanced energy\nboost it provides \u2013 gentle, clean and most importantly, free of jitters. It\u2019s a\nquality shared by similar super herbs like yaupon and guayusa, both of which\nare sipped for the sustained energy boost. Revered as one of South America\u2019s\nsuper-leaves, guayusa is said to have many powers, one of which is its ability\nto keep you awake and alert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much caffeine is in yerba\nmate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to popular belief, yerba mate\ntea contains low amounts of caffeine. So why do we say it gives you energy?\nBecause mat\u00e9 also contains other naturally energizing compounds, which is why\nyou get a boost of energy without the jitters of a highly caffeinated beverage.\nAccording to mat\u00e9 enthusiasts, one cup is enough to help them stay alert and on\ntheir game for hours. You know what that means\u2026 It\u2019s the perfect study buddy to\nsip on while cramming for an exam and makes a great little afternoon pick-me-up.\nAnd since yerba mate not as strong as coffee, it\u2019s less likely to cause stomach\nacid. Now that\u2019s what we call a win-win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does yerba mate tea taste\nlike?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yerba mate has a distinct, yet pleasant\ntaste that you won\u2019t find in a crisp green tea or a rich black tea. It\u2019s got a\nsignature smoky and toasty flavour, plus a hint of earthy sweetness, a little\nbit of bitterness and an oh-so smooth finish we can\u2019t get enough of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how does mat\u00e9 get its deliciously\nunique flavour? The leaves are harvested and then flash heated over wood fires\nor in large dryers. This process \u2013 aka \u201cblanching\u201d \u2013 is different from how we\ntreat tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis<\/em>\nplant, which are withered then air dried at lower temperatures. After blanching,\nthe mat\u00e9 leaves are dried for 8-24 hours. This slow but crucial step brings out\nall the different flavour characteristics in the tea. Then before they\u2019re ready\nfor steeping, the dried leaves are sometimes aged in cement or cedar chambers,\nusually for 2-3 months but sometimes for up to 12 months! Once this meticulous\nprocess is over, the dried leaves are ground or broken up and ready to enjoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the infusion that\u2019s right for\nyou<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FRUITY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just Beet It<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We squeezed all the sweetness of\nbeetroot into this energizing blend of mat\u00e9, apple, goji and blackberries. Hot\nor iced, it\u2019s pretty hard to beet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic Queen of Tarts<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One cup of this tangy, hibiscus-packed\nblend and you\u2019ll feel happy, invigorated \u2013 like you\u2019re walking on air. So, is\nit true love? Maybe\u2026 but the energizing burst of guayusa doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electric Lemonade<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With lemon, berries and yerba mate, this\ntangy, energizing tea is like lemonade with a grown-up twist. Plug in, drink up\nand get super-charged!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWEET<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumpy Monkey<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With four types of coffee beans, carob,\nwhite chocolate and chicory, this rich and nutty yerba mate is a seriously\nexotic way to get energized. You\u2019re definitely gonna want to try this one as a\nlatte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPICY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buzz<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need an extra boost? This energizing\nblend of ginger, matcha, mat\u00e9, guarana and citrus will have you buzzing in no\ntime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTHER ENERGIZING HERBS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our mat\u00e9\ncategory also includes other deliciously\nenergizing herbs with similar properties, one of which is harvested right here\nin North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic Guayusa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are seriously passionate about\nguayusa around here. Not only does it pack an incredible burst of energy, it\u2019s\nalso deliciously smooth, grassy and lightly sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaupon<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainably harvested in Texas, this\nsmooth and invigorating shrub is the only naturally caffeinated plant native to\nNorth America. Try it on ice for your next afternoon pick-me-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to make yerba mate tea\nperfectly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Making the perfect cup of yerba mate tea\nis easier than you think. Since mat\u00e9 is already a naturally bitter tea, we\nrecommend keeping the steeping time to 3-5 minutes in near-boiling 95o<\/sup>C\/200o<\/sup>F\nwater to get that perfect balance in flavour minus the tacky taste you often\nassociate with oversteeped tea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another little known fact about yerba\nmate? It can be steeped just like any loose leaf tea. You can use an infuser, a teabag or even a French\npress if you want to class it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to drink mat\u00e9<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many ways you can enjoy a cup\nof mat\u00e9. If you\u2019re looking for an authentic experience, then sipping it from a\ngourd through a metal straw called a bombilla is sure to make you feel like one\nof the gauchos. It also tastes just as delicious sipped out of your fave mug. You\ncan have it hot or iced, served with milk and honey, or even iced with a spritz\nof lemon and mint. The combinations are endless and are guaranteed to be\ntotally delicious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling adventurous? Browse our collection of mat\u00e9 teas here<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>So what\u2019s South America\u2019s secret to staying energized? Two words: yerba mate. Pronounced “YER-ba MAH-tay”, this tasty, smooth-drinking herb made from the dried leaves of the rainforest holly plant is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,537],"tags":[450,388],"class_list":["post-10046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-tea-101","tag-tea-101","tag-yerba-mate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10046"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14317,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10046\/revisions\/14317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}