292608 Wed Apr 23 20:31:31 -0700 2003 8 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1597558 I was just in an Argentinian grocery today and was checking out a display of at least ten different brands of yerba mate. I have never tried it and did a little research- some people seem to think it tastes a lot like, uh, hay. Are there any brands anyone could recommend that I could try that might be somewhat mild or even a bit sweet? Does one add sugar to it like tea or is that completely wrong? Thanks in advance. Wed Apr 23 20:31:31 -0700 2003 0 jesse 1 1597562 There's a whole ritual to how it is prepared. Here's how my friend from Argentina does it... We all sit around the table and she brings out the metal mate cup or a gourd (I think she also calls the receptacle a "mate," if I'm not mistaken). She fills the cup/gourd about 3/4 with a mixture of sugar and yerba mate. She then tips it to the side, so that the mate goes along one side of the cup. Then she slowly pours in the hot water (less hot than boiling), keeping most of the mate to one side (I've tried doing this myself and it never works, but it still turns out okay). You then let it settle a bit and put in the bombilla (a metal straw with the strainer on the end) on the side without the mate and drink. Then you pass it to the next person, pour in more water and keep doing this until the yerba mate loses its flavor. Soon everyone gets wired in a very nice way! I think making it in a small cup, using a good amount of mate, and not letting it steep for too long are the key to getting a good flavor. My friend always seems to have a different brand when I go over there: Cruz de Malta, Pajarito, I think some are more powdery, others more leafy. Wed Apr 23 21:38:48 -0700 2003 1597558 0 butterfly 2 1597602 I have an Argentinian friend who offers me Mate from time to time. It's quite good, I think -- very earthy and complex (I suppose "hay" would be a decent description as well). I'll try to capture his perspective here: The preparation is the same as butterfly describes, EXCEPT that NO SUGAR is used. He has always been very, very specific on this point. His claim is that "real" Mate drinkers would never use sugar. However, he says that women sometimes use it (I'm not going to address the social implications of this comment. I'm just reporting what he tells me). When we've discussed this, he has compared it to the sugar-in-coffee debate, so I guess you can use that as a point of reference. Personally, I've only had it the way he makes it, and it tastes fantastic, but this may depend on the brand (more below). Also, "yerba" is indeed the name of the leaf, and "mate" is the name of the container (originally some kind of gourd, I guess. His is wooden and nicely carved). As for brands, he claims that Rosamonte gold label is the best. There are several Rosamonte versions, apparently the difference is in the length of time it takes to cure the leaves. The gold label is a long-aged version. He also contends that only brands from Argentina should be used (of course) -- some of the brands mentioned here, are, I think, imported from Brazil, something which he found surprising. He says that Brazilians generally don't drink Mate. At times when he could not find his favorite brand he would buy something else -- Cruz de Malta, I think (going without is not an option; he is seriously addicted to this stuff!). The difference is very noticeable; this brand is much weaker. That's one perspective anyway. I guess it ends up a lot like coffee -- different people have different preferences. If you can find an Argentinean to give you a demonstration, that would be your best option. It's a social custom as much as anything else. Thu Apr 24 12:11:22 -0700 2003 1597562 0 ADL 2 1597736 Yerba mate is a generic term. It is also the name of a shrub that grows up in the Big Sur area, and has a very distinct, pleasant flavor. Even mint tea is called yerba mate. Yerba means "herb", and mate can mean "checkmate". It means "tea" in Paraguay and Uraguay. In Argentina and Peru it is the pot, or gourd, in which you make the tea. It is my understanding that in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, a tea is made from the same plant, but is called guarana. This plant grows in the rugged mountainous regions of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and has a higher content of caffein than does coffee. It also contains neochlorogenic, chlorogenic acids and theobromine catechols that give it it's tonic and reviving properties. This is also called "yerba mate". Guarana may be the Paraguayan name, as it may stem from the Guarani Indians of that country. For anyone interested in it botanically, guarana is ilex paraguariensis St.-Hill; it is related to the holly family. Fri Apr 25 17:13:23 -0700 2003 1597562 0 Deirdre 3 2388209 yerba is a generic term, meaning herb which could apply to mint. Yerba mate is a very specific term for the processed ilex paraguaiensis which grows in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Guarana is not the Paraguayan name and has nothing to do with yerba mate. Guarana is a little fruit that grows in Brazil, they use to make a flavor of soda. Thu Mar 15 08:46:35 -0700 2007 1597736 82987 mathias 1 1597626 Barbara brand is very good; get the "soave" if you're looking for mild. Thu Apr 24 14:39:00 -0700 2003 1597558 0 chowbabe 1 2388352 I spend lots of time in Argentina and drink mate often. Butterfly's description is pretty right on. The only thing she omitted is a step in the beginning. After you put the yerba mate in the mate (cup), you put your hand over the top of the cup and shake the mate up, to get rid of as much of the powdery mate as possible. (The filter on the bombilla is not that fine.) There are some mate drinkers who perfer it "amargo"--bitter, with no sugar. Many people (men included!), though, put a bit of sugar--less than a teaspoon--on top of the mate before the first water is poured to mitigate the extreme bitterness in the first one or two mates. Generally, sugar is not added again until you dump out the mate and refill it with fresh tea. Mate is not sweetened the way that Americans sweeten tea or coffee. Even when sugar is added, it is only a very small amount, as its bitterness and grassy flavor is considered to be mate's virtue. Rosamonte is a pretty strong and bitter mate, as is Amanda. If you are looking for something a little more mellow, Nobleza Gaucha is nice. Cruz de Malta is also on the mellow side. None of them are inherently sweet because as I said the reason to drink it is for its vegetal flavor. EDITED TO ADD: I did not realize the original post was four years old when I replied!! Thu Mar 15 09:21:51 -0700 2007 1597558 19646 laguera 1 2389173 agree with butterfly and laguera... though will say that where I used to live in argentina that many times the bombilla was added before the yerba... to make it easier... also, if you're just starting to get into it... many brands make a sweetened version of the yerba... so you could start w/ that, and then work your way into the more amargo versions! and oh.. yes... four years old! oops... Thu Mar 15 12:19:56 -0700 2007 1597558 70556 kabrown 2 2430297 I've tried some of the pre-sweetened brands and thought they tasted much worse than adding sugar yourself (though personally I prefer it without sugar). If you're in Uruguay the most popular brand is Canarias which is pretty strong. Sara Suave is the brand I prefer. It's interesting to see all the different methods of preparation - one difference between Uruguay and Argentina is that in Uruguay mate is always prepared in a hollowed out gourd whereas in Argentina it varies. My favorite is Palo Santo, the smell is wonderful. Wed Mar 28 16:15:31 -0700 2007 2389173 86445 marcusv