How to properly brew yerba mate?

For those who are “fresh” to brewing yerba mate, the process of preparing the drink may seem a little complicated. However, there is no need to break down! After reading our article, anyone can certainly manage. What's more, he or she will do it properly!

Summary:

1. Yerba mate – the magic tea of the Guarani Indians
2. How to brew yerba mate? What is needed?
3. What is the right temperature for yerba mate?
4. How to make delicious yerba mate? Step-by-step instructions
5. Some useful tips

Yerba mate – the magic tea of the Guarani Indians

Ilex paraguariensis has the distinction of being a very graceful material for creating a delicious infusion with a unique flavour. How to prepare a good yerba mate? In fact, there are plenty of ways to brew mate tea and much depends on personal preference. Some prefer stronger mate, others weaker. Some like the classic dry leaves without additives, others choose original, flavoured compositions or additives to the vessel themselves. There are many variables and each mateist has their own habits when it comes to brewing yerba mate. The easiest way to do this is to put it in three steps: pour the dry yerba mate into the mate cup, pour in the water and insert the bombilla. However, yerba mate is more than just a simple herbal infusion. There is a magical ritual associated with it, a certain mystical aura that makes it a unique drink. Although everyone prepares and drinks yerba mate in their own way, there is something that every fan of the healthy green drink from South America has in common. It is the ancient tradition of the Guarani Indians.

It was the Guarani Indians who first discovered the properties of Ilex paraguariensis plant. They noticed that by chewing the leaves from this tree they had more energy, did not feel tired or hungry and their concentration sharpened. It was not long before they began to dry and grind the holly leaves into finer pieces, and used the resulting dried material to make an infusion. They drank the herbal tea in vessels made from the dried and hollowed-out fruit of the calabash. To filter it, they used a tube made of bamboo or cane, perforated at one end. Drinking yerba mate was a ritual of the Indians, performed before hunting and all-day, exhausting expeditions. The tribe would gather around a campfire and drink the brew together, from a single vessel, passing it from hand to hand.

JHow to brew yerba mate? What is needed?

The tradition of the Guarani Indians has survived to this day. We may not drink mate tea by the fire, but we use the same tools as its discoverers – only slightly improved. The custom of drinking the brew together has also survived. Especially in Argentina and Paraguay, sharing yerba mate is an important part of the local culture. So, how do you start drinking yerba mate?

To begin, it is worth getting the necessary tools – a vessel and a filtering tube. In the yerba mate world, a vessel is mate cup or gourd (calabash). Yerba mate is most often prepared in wooden, ceramic or calabash fruit vessels. This is, of course, a matter of taste, flavour or simply convenience. A specially shaped vessel makes it easier to brew yerba mate, to drink it comfortably and to maintain the temperature of the brew for longer. The tube through which the yerba mate is drunk, on the other hand, is the bombilla. It resembles a teaspoon, but has a perforated filter to keep the grounds in the cup so that they do not fall into the mouth. Thermos or yerbomos is a convenient option for those who like to drink their yerba mate outside the home. For beginners, we also recommend an analogue thermometer, which helps to accurately measure the temperature of the water needed to brew mate tea – and this is of great importance, as we will write later. Finally, and most importantly, yerba mate. Which type to choose? See one of our blog posts.

What is the right temperature for yerba mate?

The most important thing when brewing yerba mate is the temperature of the water. Do not pour boiling water over the dry product as this will cause the holly leaves to “burn” – they will lose their properties, flavour and aroma. It is also possible to pour ice-cold water over yerba mate. The cold version of mate is called tereré. The ideal temperature for pouring the hot version is around 70-80 Celsius degrees.

What temperature water should be poured over yerba mate?

1. Some say that boiling yerba mate, instead of pouring hot water over it, gives extremely interesting results. What's more, water can be replaced by milk to make mate de leche. Such a yerba-milk drink, combined with sugar or other sweeteners, is excellent for warming up the body on cold days.


2. Water at 90-100 Celsius degrees is too hot for Ilex paraguariensis leaves and causes it to brew very quickly. The valuable properties of the plant are “killed” by the boiling water and a very bitter, intense taste is quickly released. Such an infusion can still be saved somewhat – it is a good idea to pour yerba mate through a strainer about 1 minute after pouring to stop the brewing process. This avoids a bitter, unpleasant aftertaste.


3. 70-80 Celsius degrees – this is the ideal temperature for pouring yerba mate. The holly leaves fully release their properties and give a strong stimulating effect. The infusion has a rather heavy, distinctive taste. You can feel the bitterness and astringency.


4. 50-60 Celsius degrees – this is the temperature that will be perfect for brewing yerba mate for longer. The properties of the holly are released more weakly. The taste is also slightly milder. Dry mate brewed in this way can even be drunk in the late afternoon.


5. lukewarm water at 30-40 Celsius degrees – gives the effect of a very mild yerba mate, both in action and taste. Getting the right dose of caffeine will require longer brewing, and it will still not be possible to get the effect as with brewing at 70-80 degrees.


6. Cold, almost icy water is used to prepare tereré. While yerba mate releases its flavour and properties poorly in lukewarm water, it behaves quite differently at very low temperatures. The icy “brew” is somewhat milder in flavour and effect than mate tea brewed with water at 70-80 Celsius degrees, but it is not the stimulating effect that is most important here. Above all, tereré is an excellent way to cool down on a hot day.

How to make delicious yerba mate? Step-by-step instructions

Unlike regular tea, preparing yerba mate requires a few steps, but don't worry – it quickly becomes a habit! What to do and how long to brew yerba mate, so that it is tasty and works best? All it takes is a few steps:

Step 1: pour the dried mate into the mate cup

The first step is one of the most important. The intensity, taste and effect of the infusion will depend on how much yerba mate you pour into your vessel. The rule is simple – the more mate, the stronger the infusion will be. Especially at the beginning, when you don't have a feel for it, it is easy to overdo it and become discouraged by the bitter taste and the amount of caffeine. It is usually said that the optimal amount of dried mate is about 1/4 to 3/4 of the volume of the vessel, which is not very precise information. So we hint that to start with, it's best to pour in 15 grams or so of dried leaves – as much as will fit in a large spoon.

Step 2: arrange mate in your calabash

This step of preparing yerba mate actually consists of several smaller steps. Firstly, if the dried product is fine and highly dusty, it is a good idea to get rid of some of the dust and smaller leaves and twigs that will later clog the bombilla. To do this, you need to cover the mate cup with your hand, turn it upside down and shake it vigorously. Some of the fine dried pieces will remain on the palm of your hand, leaving the “matieist mark” on your hand. If you choose yerba mate that is free of twigs and dust, you can safely skip this step. Once you have poured the dried product into the mate cup (and possibly got rid of some of the dust and twigs), you need to arrange it properly. Tilt the container at an angle (approx. 45°) so that the dried leaves sit on one side of the vessel. This will create a “mound” on one side and expose a space into which you can pour water at a later stage.

Step 3: place the bombilla

Still holding the container in a slightly tilted position, place the bombilla in it, putting it on the mound. Place the bombilla with the filter down so that it touches the bottom of the mate cup. You can now carefully return the vessel to its original position, being careful not to mess up the mound.

Step 4: pour the water

Aiming for the space without the dried leaves, pour in water at the right temperature – the most optimal is around 70-80 Celsius degrees. Some people pour a little cold water into the mate cup first, before the hot water, and wait a while for it to soak into the leaves. Supposedly, yerba mate prepared in this way retains its flavour for longer. This custom is also a reference to tradition. The Jesuits, who arrived in South America during the conquest, referred to the moment when the water magically “disappeared” in the mate cup as a “sip for St Thomas” – a gift to him given as thanks for bringing yerba mate into the world.

Finally: wait for it to brew!

After pouring hot water, wait about 2-3 minutes for the yerba mate leaves to release their flavour, aroma and properties. Your mate tea is ready to drink! Remember that the brew is constantly straining, so the longer the yerba mate is in the calabash, the stronger it will become. Also remember not to throw away the grounds after drinking the brew – you can pour yerba mate several times until its flavour and aroma are completely washed out.

Some useful tips

• Do not stir with your bombilla in a mate cup! Although it resembles a teaspoon, it is not one and is not used for stirring. Any movement in the brew causes the holly leaves to move, which can contribute to clogging the bombilla filter.


• If you forget to place the bombilla in the mate cup before pouring the water – don't worry! You can do it later, and to reduce the risk of grounds getting into the tube, plug the mouthpiece of the bombilla with your thumb and only let go when the tube is submerged in water. The pressure created inside will avoid clogging the filter.


• If you fancy a sweet yerba mate, the best way is to sweeten the water first with any sweetener and pour this mixture over the dried leaves. This way there will be no need to stir with a spoon or (horror of horrors!) a bombilla in your mate tea.


• If you don't have a traditional calabash, ceramic mate cup or bombilla at hand – nothing lost. These tools are very useful for brewing and drinking yerba mate, but they are not essential. You can replace the mate cup with a regular cup, and instead of filtering your brew through a bombilla, you can use a regular tea brewer. In this blog post you will find more ideas for alternative yerba mate brewing.

Now everything is clear! You know how to brew yerba mate correctly. We're keeping our fingers crossed for your first brew! Be sure to let us know which method you like best.

Source of information:

1. Wikipedia: Mate (drink).
2. A. Gawron-Gzella, J. Chanaj-Kaczmarek, J. Cielecka-Piontek, Yerba Mate – A Long but Current History, Nutrients, 2021.