What to say about yerba mate? I’ve been drinking it on and off for years, and each time I return to it, I remember why I initially thought it was great. It has a strong taste if you aren’t used to it, mainly because of the amount of ‘tea’ that is used for each infusion–it’s a lot, much more than most people would use to brew a pot of camellia sinensis.
mate and bombilla
I don’t know all that much about yerba mate, but what I do hear about it is good stuff: it is thought to be healthy for your heart and for combating obesity and diabetes, it gives you energy like caffeine does but without the twitchy and shaky effects, and it contains vitamin B6, thiamine, and vitamin C according to the nutrition information on the package. I always feel great when I drink it, and C. loves it. He keeps some at work, and claims to feel much better drinking yerba mate than he does when drinking coffee. I have read some studies from Europe that support yerba mate as a treatment for various ailments, but I have no idea who funded or wrote them, so I’ll leave it at that.
Suffice it to say that a good percentage of many South American countries drink yerba mate daily while working and feel that it gives them more energy, and can also help suppress appetite until your next meal. Besides, the mate can be infused dozens of times, and is pretty inexpensive if you can find it at a Latino market in your area. I have also seen yerba mate in health food stores, but there it is usually over-priced, so try to find it somewhere else if you can. The straw used for mate drinking is called a bombilla and makes the whole process very simple, but if you can’t find a bombilla you could always just brew it in a teapot or other brewing apparatus.
Have you tried yerba mate? I wouldn’t say that I love it as much as green tea, but it is really nice for a change. I like how it gives me an energetic/euphoric feeling without making me shaky and wound-up. It actually is known to calm muscle spasms rather than cause them, and many people can still rest and nap comfortably while drinking mate.
I’m off to dinner out with friends tonight for C.’s birthday. Have a great weekend!
love,
meg
Tags: Tea
Well… I drink Yerba Mate (pronounced “maté”), and I find that it gives me good energy long after I have finished drinking it. Sometimes until late at night I can still feel it coursing in my veins. Great stuff. I can get it here for about $5 a kilo for good quality herb.
note: ‘yerba’ means herb
hi there~ thanks for stopping by my blog so I can find yours,
you drink mate? how did you find it? how did you begin? i though it’s only known in Latin America. I lived 13 years in Argentina, so I’m shocked seeing it here!
Hi Coco, thanks for visiting!
I’ve never been to Argentina, or anywhere in South America, but I’ve been drinking yerba mate for a few years now. It’s readily available and pretty cheap in Montreal… it costs about $5CDN for a 1kg bag. I’m sure you can find it where you are if you check in South-American grocery stores.
Hi there!
I have just been reading about all the benefits of this tea. I Also am living in Montreal, and enjoy your blog immensely. Where can I buy it? Im guessing the Latin Quarter, but some specifics would be great
thanks