Kids Preparing Yerba Mate Tea - Chicos Preparando Mate

Kids are showing how to prepare yerba mate tea. He has an Argentina jersey and looks like a gaucho. She is always sweet. Then, both are actually drinking mate. Congratulation!!

Estos chicos estan preparando un buen mate. El con la camiseta de Argentina y parece un gaucho. Ella siempre tan dulce. Despues, ambos toman mate. Felicidades!!!

Curing the Mate Gourd Step-By-Step

CURING THE MATE STEP-BY-STEP

STEP # 1

Fill the mate-gourd with a used and wet brew. Ideally, this is taken from a mate in use, if you have one, and, better yet, preferably bitter.

STEP # 2

Pour a shot of hot water and let it rest for one whole day.

STEP # 3

Remove the yerba.

STEP # 4

Rinse the calabash with warm water.

STEP # 5

Scrape the inner walls with a proper tool to take off the skin, which is soft by now, and almost loose by the maceration effect.

STEP # 6

Fill it with a new brew, then add boiling water and let it rest until the following day. With plenty of water, rinse again, and the operation is repeated from the beginning.

Now, you are ready to go. Drink mate four or five times a day for breakfast, midmorning, after lunch, after supper, and late in the evening. If going out on a trip, get yourself a ThermoBottle with hot water and carry the mate with you. If driving, train your copilot to serve or "cebar" mate while you enjoy the driving. In Argentina, most of us carry MATE EQUIPMENT in our car when traveling that consists of:

• A stove furnace like a " Coleman" or similar
• A stainless steel or aluminum kettle
• A Thermo bottle
• A package of Yerba Mate of your preference
• A gourd or two (just in case)
• A bombilla or two (just in case)
• A bottle with plenty of fresh water to heat
• A pot of sugar (if you like sweet mate - I don't - bitter is healthier!)
• Matches

America has wonderful and beautiful rest areas on its highways all across the nation. Stop on a large trip, heat some water, and either drink some mates there or keep going—this will shorten the trip like you can not imagine!

Now, after this humble advice, enjoy, be healthy, and be happy.

Source: gauchogourmet.com

How to Prepare Terere in Bowl or Cup

The picture shows the steps to prepare Terere in a bowl or cup. It is pretty similar to Mate; however, Terere is prepared with cold water or juice. It is a great drink for hot weather. It is extremly refreshing and gives you same energy as a Mate.

What is a Bombilla?

A bombilla is a filter and a straw at the same time. The filter is in the lower end and the straw is next to the filter. This particular item is used to separate the mate infusion from the stems and leaves. There are different kind of bombilla, such as coiled bombilla, bamboo bombilla, pick bombilla, spoon bombilla, fanned bombilla, double action bombilla, chambered bombilla and more.

Yerba Mate Ceremony

"Tomando mate (drinking mate) is a symbol of hospitality. High-five yourself if you are offered to drink mate with locals as it is quite a privilege to take part in the ceremony.  The first step of the ceremony is the preparation of the gourd where typically the cebador/a (mate server) prepares mate for friends. Filling the gourd 2/3 full of yerba mate, then gently shaking it until yerba mate is on one side and inserting the filtered end of the bombilla into the bottom of the gourd before carefully pouring water in. The mate server tests the mate by drinking the first gourd-full or two to ensure that only a smooth running mate is shared. Then the gourd is refilled with hot water (not boiling) and passed counter-clockwise with the bombilla facing the recipient. Never touch the bombilla…ever. It is tempting but it messes everything up and is a surefire way to not be invited to drink mate again. Each person drinks the entire gourd, taking as much time as necessary until all liquid is gone before passing the gourd back to the cebador/a. The gourd is refilled with hot water and follows around the circle, continuing in this fashion until the mate is lavado (flat). When you have had enough mate, simply say gracias indicating that you’re are done as the gourd can be passed around 15-20 times before making a new infusion.
With all of the health benefits and stimulating effects, why doesn’t the whole world drink yerba mate? Probably because tastes like earth. Seriously…it does. I love it but it is definitely an acquired taste. It is similar in flavour to a very strong green tea with hints of dirt and grass. Most friends that I have invited to drink mate only tried it once then called it quits. You can buy flavoured mate that is less bitter as it is infused with mint or honey but I am a purest. I like the earthy taste.
Last spring I was in Patagonia sipping on mate staring at spectacular glaciers when a group of Argentinians approached me. They were in disbelief, as rare as a unicorn, a foreigner that actually enjoys mate. With big smiles and open arms they showered me in hugs and kisses, taking photos as proof of this bizarre phenomenon as I offered to share my mate with them. Breaking down barriers with an earthy beverage.
Why drink yerba mate?

1. The mate gourds and thermoses make excellent accessories available in a wide array of colours, shapes and sizes
2. Guachos drink heaps of mate and they are cool
3. It is a good conversation starter as it is so mysterious
4. It packs a serious punch – coffee high without the coffee crash
5. Argentinians are beautiful…the yerba mate can’t hurt
6. It is incredibly good for you and tastes healthy (and a touch earthy)
7. It is a very social drink (though I am still trying to find friends in Vancouver to drink it with)"

Quote: finisterra

What is Terere?

Many people have heard of maté, a tea made with hot water and yerba maté leaves, commonly found in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Coffee shops across the United States are beginning to offer yerba maté tea bags as it grows in popularity. However, in the small, landlocked country of Paraguay, where temperatures average 95 degrees in the summer and often rise up to 110, tereré reigns supreme as the nation’s drink of choice.

Pronounced te-re-RE, using the “e” from “bet” and with the r’s sounding more like soft d’s, the beverage is an iced tea version of hot maté. But the tea, a combination of ice-cold water and yerba maté leaves, is so much more than a beverage for the people of Paraguay. The drink embodies a sense of community and friendship. 

When tereré is drunk with fruit juice rather than water it is often called “tereré ruso” because it is commonly consumed by Slavic immigrants in parts of Argentina and Paraguay. Tereré purists snub their noses at this variation.

A Paraguayan is rarely found far from their “equipo de tereré,” or tereré gear, which consists of their “guampa” (a cup shaped like a cow’s horn), “bombilla” (filtered straw) and “termo” (thermos). In ”el campo” (the countryside), people tend to use a jar or pitcher rather than a termo.

Dry yerba maté leaves on their way to becoming tereré

SOURCE Leslie dela Vega

The serving of the tereré is crucial. The tea is often drunk while sitting in a circle, and the youngest person of the group is usually the server, called the cebador[a]. Everyone in the circle uses the same bombilla, but each person finishes a cupful of the tea, sharing the tools but not the liquid. Polite people beware! Saying “gracias” means you are done and would not like to be served again. So keep your thank-yous to yourself until you’re really finished. Another common foreigner faux pas is moving the bombilla. The bombilla is carefully placed to keep the tereré from being too bitter. Swirling it around will ruin the drink and earn you rolled eyes and exclamations of protest.

Some participants wait a few rounds for the terere to get more “lavado,” which means washed-out or flat. The taste of yerba maté is smoky and bitter, and the bitterness can be toned down after the first few drinks.

“Tereré rupa” is a snack, usually a starchy one, that one eats before beginning to drink their tereré for the day.

Tereré can – and is – also drunk individually. Paraguayans drink the tea year-round and throughout the day. In the morning, people often add “remedios yuyos” – medicinal herbs, leaves and roots – to the water. Some herbs target indigestion, others lower blood pressure, and some are just for flavor.

Tereré gear: “termo” (thermos), “guampa” (a cup shaped like a cow’s horn), and a “bombilla” (filtered straw)

SOURCE Leslie dela Vega

The naturally caffeinated tea leaves, found in the canopy of the Upper Paraná Atlantic rainforest, have many health benefis. Most notably, the leaves have a high antioxidant capacity, even more so than green tea. The tea has been associated with the prevention of cancer and, alternatively, with the cause of some types of cancer, although research has largely shown a positive outcome from drinking tereré.

In Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, the termos themselves are fashion statements. Each termo is often personalized with different colors, materials, embroidered designs, sports team logos and monograms of one’s name. You commonly see people whizzing by you with a personalized termo hanging off their moto.

If you are looking to jump on the tereré train, you can order the supplies online. Guayaki, a California based company, sells tereré bottled, to drink cold. However, this skips the social process of tereré, which is a majority of the fun in drinking the tea.

Another option? Book a flight down to Asunción and try it for yourself. You’ll be the only American not spinning the bombilla around and spitting out premature thank-yous like an amateur.

 SOURCE: Lorena O'''''Neil

Diego Maradona Drinking Yerba Mate

Here is Diego Maradona and his mom sharing a mate, when he played for FC Barcelona. He had been much better if he had kept drinking mate.

Follow the Green Trend

Go green campaign will encourage people to switch to yerba mate from coffee. Every yerba mate drinker should ask circle of influence to try mate. Go green, go mate.

Go Green, Dirnk Yerba Mate

Go green campaign will encourage people to switch to yerba mate from coffee. Every yerba mate drinker should ask circle of influence to try mate. Go green, go mate.

In Argentina, 92% of the Household Boasts Yerba Mate

 In North America some people are switching to yerba mate because of their benefits, and how healthy is. However, in Argentina most of the population have no idea how good and healthy is to drink yerba mate, they just drink it because of the Argentinean culture. 

The Language of Mate

"The Language of Mate" (EL Lenguaje del Mate) is a Milonga (Argentinean type of music). The author of this song is Hector del Valle. He is not the first one to compose a song about the mate.

Conan O'Brien Drinking Yerba Mate

Thank you Conan for this very funny video.

How do Las Marias Process Yerba Mate

Processing Yerba Mate

1. The Nursery   Millions of young plants are sprouted in the nursery. They are selected from the best specimens in the plantations to ensure superior quality from the very start.	2. The Plantations After six months, the young plants are transplanted in the fields. The tender, loving care each one receives causes them to grow with health, vigor and with all the best qualities of yerba mate.	3. The Harvest Tradition and technology converge in the yerba mate harvest. Leaves are picked only when they are mature, at exactly the right moment, to ensure the highest quality yerba mate.
4. The Dryer   Leaves are directly exposed to heat from fire. This slows processes of fermentation and oxidation. Then for three hours, they are exposed to a temperature of 100° Centigrade (212° Fahrenheit). Once dried, they are crushed. The result is called toasted yerba mate.	5. The Aging The flavor, color and aroma distinctive to each variety of yerba mate produced at Las Marías are obtained through an aging process that is strictly controlled by our experts.	6. The Mill Processing is completed at the mill, where the yerba mate is treated according to its type, the way it was harvested and the time of year it was processed. Plant parts are then mixed in varying proportions, depending on the nature and brand of yerba mate being produced.
7. Packaging   This last link in the processing chain is important for preserving all the qualities of fine yerba mate. That’s why Las Marías uses specially designed, airtight packaging.	8. Tasting The discerning palates of our taste-testers are the final control of each step in the process. They ensure perfect balance and long-lasting flavor from each and every variety of yerba mate that we produce. Thank you Estableciomiento Las Marias

Yerba Mate Video

Mate and Tango, what a combination. This beautiful piece of music with a combination of yerba mate images make this YouTube video great. The video shows all the Mate components and how to prepare it. Thank you Tastemade (video publisher).

Properties of Mate Cocido (Yerba Mate in Tea Bags)

Vitamins: Mate contains B vitamins, which help the body release and maximize use of energy contained in foods. They also aid muscular functions and help maintain healthy skin and hair.
Minerals and Protein: 
Mate contains potassium, essential for a healthy heart.
Mate contains magnesium, which helps synthesize proteins to make you strong and healthy. One cup of mate cocido contains 80 times more magnesium than a glass of cola.
One cup of mate cocido with milk contains 300 times more calcium than a soft drink, as much as a cup of chocolate milk and as much as a coffee.
One cup of mate cocido contains 230 times more phosphorous than a soft drink and 46 times more than a coffee.
One cup of mate cocido contains eight times the protein as a glass of cola, as much as a cup of chocolate milk and 60 times more than a coffee.

Natural Energy: 
A mate infusion contains xanthines, making it a natural source of physical and mental energy. Xanthines are compounds such as caffeine and theobromine, which stimulate the central nervous system, aiding and increasing control of mental and physical exertion. So mate is ideal for athletes or anyone engaging in physical or mental activities. It also stimulates thermogenesis.
One cup of mate cocido provides four times the energy as a glass of cola.
Powerful Antioxidants: 
Mate is a healthy drink, with polyphenols that act as antioxidants. An infusion of mate contains antioxidants that are more powerful than ascorbic acid (vitamin C). In terms of strong antioxidants, mate has properties similar to those of red wine, inhibiting oxidation of low density lipoproteins.
- The antioxidants in mate help arrest cell aging. By boosting the body's natural defenses, they prevent common attacks against cells, which can weaken the body.
- Antioxidants help prevent the growth of cancer cells. Since they arrest cell aging, they also help prevent certain types of cancer.
- Antioxidants help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They also help prevent coronary disease and strokes because they combat arteriosclerosis.
- Since polyphenols block the action of the enzyme involved in the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, these antioxidants can reduce high blood pressure.
Helps Lower cholesterol: The saponins present in mate help reduce low density lipoproteins (LDLs) in the blood. Saponins interact with cholesterol and bilious acids to create mixed micelles, which aid in the elimination of cholesterol by preventing it from being absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.
Helps Fight Bacteria: Mate prevents cavities and bad breath by inhibiting the growth of bacterial plaque.

Argentina's Soccer Coach (Gerardo Martino) Drinking Yerba Mate

Here is Gerardo "Tata" Martino, the head coach of the Argentina National Football Team. On 12 August 2014, Martino was introduced as the new manager for the Argentine National Football Team. And he usually drink mate during the practices. He is another Yerba Mate Celebrity.

Mate and the TV

Mate is the exact opposite of television makes you talk if you're with someone and makes you think when you're alone.

Congratulation RIVER PLATE 

EURO-AMERICAN SUPERCUP WINNER

We are celebrating the international cup that River Plate achieve with a River Plate mate. The photo shows a customize design of River Plate mate (gourd)

 

A Matero:

A Matero:

A Matero is a person who not only drink mate(yerba mate old fashion drink) regularly, but is also a person who drink it no matter what, a person whose passion is yerba mate.
  After preparing the thermo, the mate (groud) and yerba mate a Matero starts the day. The mate is not only the breakfast for a Matero. Then, a Matero will take the yerba mate bundle everywhere. A good size thermo (at least 1 liter) will provide hot water for the entire day to make a number of mates. Next, a Matero will ask the boss or the teacher permission to drink mate during work or school. Finally, a Matero will be back at home to prepare a new fresh mate and enjoy it with the family. Sharing the mate is another important factor for a Matero. A Matero should always ask everyone around to join to drink a mate. For a Matero, a mate is not only a beverage, it is more like drinking mate in group, and sharing for a while.

To be a good Matero, a person need to have passion for yerba mate, to prepare the yerba mate bundle for the day and to share mate with family, friend, and others.
Zur Yerba Mate 



 

Properties of Yerba Mate

Properties of Yerba Mate

A Source of Vitamins

Yerba Mate contains B vitamins, which help the body release and maximize use of energy contained in foods. They also aid muscular functions and help maintain healthy skin and hair.

A Source of Minerals

Mate contains potassium, essential for a healthy heart. It also contains magnesium, which helps synthesize proteins to make you strong and healthy.

Powerful Antioxidants

Mate is a healthy drink, with polyphenols that act as antioxidants. An infusion of mate contains antioxidants that are more powerful than ascorbic acid (vitamin C). In terms of strong antioxidants, mate has properties similar to those of red wine, inhibiting oxidation of low density lipoproteins.

• The antioxidants in mate help arrest cell aging. By boosting the body's natural defenses, they prevent common attacks against cells, which can weaken the body.
• Antioxidants help prevent the growth of cancer cells. Since they arrest cell aging, they also help prevent certain types of cancer.
• Antioxidants help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They also help prevent coronary disease and strokes because they combat arteriosclerosis.

Energizing Effect

A mate infusion contains xanthines, making it a natural source of physical and mental energy. Xanthines are compounds such as caffeine and theobromine, which stimulate the central nervous system, aiding and increasing control of mental and physical exertion. So mate is ideal for athletes or anyone engaging in physical or mental activities.

Helps Lower Cholesterol

The saponins present in mate help reduce low density lipoproteins (LDLs) in the blood. Saponins interact with cholesterol and bilious acids to create mixed micelles, which aid in the elimination of cholesterol by preventing it from being absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.

Traditionally Prepared Mate

Traditionally Prepared Mate

In this manner, mate is prepared in a small, hollowed gourd. (The plant product is called “yerba mate,” the drink “mate” and the gourd “a/the mate.”) The infusion is prepared with hot—never boiled—water and sipped through a bombilla, a straw-like tube of metal with a filter at the bottom end to prevent small pieces of yerba mate from entering. Mate prepared in this traditional Argentine way is more than a simple beverage; it is a ritual performed daily. An ordinary glass can also be used in place of a mate gourd.

The preparation of the traditional mate requires four steps. First, fill three quarters of the mate gourd with yerba mate. Ther right fill is important. Too much or too little yerba mate affect the taste. Then, slope the yerba mate against one side of the gourd and moisten the yerba mate with cold or warm water. Next, wait a short time, and then place the bombilla against the side of the gourd away from the moistened slope of yerba mate. Finally, fill the mate gourd with hot—never boiled—water. For mate enthusiasts, this part of the preparation is an art.

Water is a very important factor when preparing mate, since it greatly affects the aroma and flavor of the infusion. Always begin with cool water. Water temperature is also important. The recommended temperature for mate is 70° to 80° Centigrade. Never use boiling water; it destroys the delicate flavors and aromas of mate and brings in other undesirable ones.

Lionel Messi Drinking Yerba Mate

Here is the best soccer player in the world, Lionel Messi. Is he that good because the yerba mate? Well, I am not sure if is because of it, but the yerba mate for sure helps him a lot. He drinks yerba mate since he was a kid. Here are some picture of Messi drinking yerba mate in different moment of his life.

Drinking Yerba Mate in a Grapefruit (Pomelo)

Zur Yerba Mate: Drinking Yerba Mate in a Grapefruit (Pomelo) http://t.co/lU4qjUUqSf #yerbamate #mate #healthyliving #tea #argentina
— Zur Yerba Mate (@ZurYerbaMate) March 22, 2015

Drinking Yerba Mate in a Grapefruit (Pomelo) it is for sure a particular way to do it. But, why not? It looks really good. I will give it a try. Thank you jcooper93, the publisher of the video.

A Matero's Snowday

This video shows the preparation of a mate in a snow day, and how a Matero drink mate in a snow day. A Matero will drink mate no matter what. The cold or snow will not stop him for a mate. Mate is not only a drink, is a way of life. Thank you Circle of Drink, the publisher of the video.

How to cure a mate gourd

Hi Again,

This video show an interesting way to cure a gourd(mate). I'd never see cure a yerba mate gourd with vodka. As well, I don't recommend it. I will post another video showing a good way to cure a gourd(mate), more traditional way. But the video is funny. Thank you David Hammond, the publisher of the video.

Enjoy!

How I prepare Yerba mate

Hello Everybody,

Here is a useful video about how to prepare yerba mate in the old fashion way. This guy know really good what to do, even though he is not from a yerba mate country. We are spreading our good tradition. Thank you Allie Caulfield, the publisher of the video.
Hope you like it.

Cristina Fernandez drinking yerba mate

I wasn't sure to publish this photo. I am not really proud of show our president drinking mate. I am not to sure if she really drink it, but at least she is handling the mate. Maybe she needs to start drinking it. For the ones that don't know, she is the Argentinean president Cristina Fernandez.

Coffee Vs. Yerba Mate

Here is a comparison of mate and coffee. The best way to start drinking yerba mate is comparing it with coffee. If you are a coffee drinker, you should consider the option of yerba mate. Thank you Circle of Drink, the publisher of the video.

Healthy Coffee Alternative

Dr. Theresa Ramsey recommend yerba mate instead of coffee. Is really good that a US doctor recommend yerba mate. However, is the first time that I see that container for a mate. Moreover, a glass with ice... that looks terere for me, not mate. Terere is more or less the same of mate, but mate is a hot drink and terere is a cold drink. Anyway, Thank you Dr. Theresa Ramsey.

Pope Francis drinking yerba mate

Yes, is the Pope Francis. Yes, is drinking mate. Pope Francis is originally from Argentina, and is a traditional mate drinker. Thank you Pope Francis.

Lionel Messi drinking yerba mate

Here is Leo Messi, in Barcelona. Drinking mate, he left Argentina when he was 12 years old, but he never loose his tradition. Spain offer him a lot of money to play for the Spain National Soccer Team, however, Messi decided to play for Argentina. Here is another reason to be proud of him.
Thank you Leo Messi