Product description
Mate is a very popular drink in South America (our comes from Brazil), leaving behind both coffee and tea, and has millions of people enjoying its invigorating and stimulating effects on daily basis. Yerba mate, as they call it in its countries of origin, consists of dried and crushed leaves of a tall evergreen tree we could call Paraguayan holly tree (or ilex), as it fits in the same botanical group as the holly tree (ilex) that grows in our regions. It contains less caffeine than tea, but has a similar level of polyphenols that act as antioxidants, which makes it similar to green tea. However, research on the effects and healing power of mate has not been as extensive as for the green tea. It is well known that people who regularly drink mate eat less food and have decreased appetite, as it stimulates digestion and lipid metabolism. For this reason mate has become increasingly popular also in the West and is considered useful for keeping our weight under control. It is also known for its invigorating effects that boost our immune system, just like ginseng or liquorice. Despite being high in caffeine it has a relaxing influence on our nervous system. It strengthens and protects the cardiovascular system, stimulates liver functions, accelerates elimination of toxines from the body, acts anti-inflammatory and soothes the symptoms of allergies. Due to all the above it seems its popularity in the West has only started and we are going to hear much more about it in the future. But don’t let this hold you back – you can already enjoy a cup or two of this healthy and refreshing mate. Preparation Mate is traditionally prepared in a gourd, also called mate or cuia, and we sip it with bombilla, a metal straw. The gourd is filled up to one third with crushed leaves and infused with hot but not boiling water. We leave the infusion for about three minutes and drink it with the straw. We add hot water again and after a couple of minutes drink the beverage with the straw, repeating the process for another one or two times, or as long as the crushed leaves retain some aroma. We can also prepare mate just like any other tea: infuse a full teaspoon of leaves with a cup of hot water, leave it for three to five minutes and then filter it. We can drink it without any additives or with a touch of roasted sugar and/or lemon juice, as is often a custom in South America. We can also try the non-traditional mate with milk.