What is Yerba Mate? How does Yerba Mate taste like? Its caffeine content and health benefits.
WHAT IS YERBA MATE? HOW DOES YERBA MATE TASTE LIKE? ITS CAFFEINE CONTENT AND HEALTH BENEFITS.
If you are looking for an energy booster, but tired of your usual tea or coffee, then you should try nothing other than yerba mate.
A natural pick me up to lift your mood and boost your energy that doesn’t come from your regular cup of tea or coffee.
South Americans cherish yerba mate for its energy-boosting properties and it is widely enjoyed as a continuous drink as the day go on.
WHAT IS YERBA MATE?
Yerba Mate is a type of tea or better we can say herbal tea or tisane.
It produced from the stems and leaves of the South American shrub in the botanical family called Ilex paraguariensis.
It grows in several locations in South American, such as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, but was first cultivated by a slightly nomadic guarani people who loved in southern Brazil.
Since then it started getting attention and eventually migrated over the U.S. and nowadays it has become a popular ingredient in many health and energy drinks.
HOW DOES YERBA MATE TASTE LIKE?
Yerba mate has a grassy flavor just like some other green teas but with less astringency.
You may also find it herbal and mildly bitter.
If lightly brewed, the flavors are usually vegetal, like green tea.
If boiling water is used or if the leaves are steeped too long, the infusion may become bitter.
The flavor of prepared tea can also vary with the terroir where it was grown and the season in which it is harvested.
BREWING YERBA MATE
Yerba mate is brewed inside a gourd called a guampa or a mate.
Dried leaves and stems are placed inside the gourd and then infused with warm water (not boiling), as boiling water might result in quite bitter liquor.
It is usually drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla or bomba.
When the brewed “tea” is consumed, more warm water is added and the gourd passed around until all of the flavours have been drawn out.
There are many traditions for sharing it in a group with the guampa and bombilla. But it is now available in tea bags or loose leaf teas and ready-to-drink forms.
If you don’t have guampa and bombilla, grab a mug, add boiling water, steep for 5 minutes, strain and enjoy!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF YERBA MATE
Yerba mate is associated with several health benefits.
- It is rich in vitamins, amino acids, and polyphenols which are known to improve health.
- Caffeine is a natural stimulant and used to increase alertness and focus, similar to coffee and tea. Yerba mate contains an average of 78mg of caffeine per 150ml cup. That is quite high than black tea and a little less than coffee. This caffeine content may offer a boost in mood and energy.
- Just like green teas, It is also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to fight against free radicals in the body which is the main cause of many diseases.
- It is also very effective in weight control. It helps to boost metabolism and decreases the total number of fat cells and the amount of fat they stored that ultimately could help in weight loss.
- Due to caffeine contents and several antioxidants count in it, it seems to improve health performance and efficiency. It also helps with digestion.