Here’s our recipe to prepare a delicious tereré for a sunny day. This refreshing infusion is prepared with yerba mate (usually fruit-flavored), cold water and ice cubes. For example, during the summer, cold-brewed yerba mate or tereré is very popular in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.Yerba mate is very versatile and it can be enjoyed in several ways. This special ceremony goes back to the Argentine gauchos sharing yerba mate around a fire.Īre there other ways to drink yerba mate? This person called “cebador” will pass on the gourd to each member of the group, and then fill the gourd again with hot water for the next person. Traditionally, yerba mate is shared by two or more people, sharing the same mate gourd and bombilla (read our recommendations to enjoy yerba mate during the COVID pandemic) however, only one person can be in charge of brewing. Check out this step-by-step to prepare a traditional yerba mate tea. This is how Argentinians prefer to drink yerba mate. To prepare a traditional mate tea, the ground leaves are brewed with hot water inside the mate gourd. Use your five senses to identify high-quality yerba mate.Īlthough there are several ways to make and drink yerba mate, the most common one is hot yerba mate. Only high quality yerba mate will ensure the ideal flavor, aromas and enjoyability. You will also need a thin straw called “bombilla” to sip the mate tea and ideally, A thermos made of glass or stainless steel to maintain the water temperature ( here you will find everything you need to start preparing yerba mate).Īlso, the quality of the yerba is a determining factor when enjoying yerba mate. The mate gourd comes in several shapes and materials such as glass, metal and wood, among others. Traditionally, you need a special gourd designed for this purpose (also called “mate”).

This herbal tea is prepared in a very particular way. Read more about the history of yerba mate. During Argentina’s independence in the 19th century, the tradition of drinking mate was strengthened in the country’s national culture. They sat around a fire, and next to the beef asado, they heat up water and passed on their mate from hand to hand. Later on, the “gauchos” (a kind of Argentine cowboy) settled down throughout Argentina and adopted yerba mate as part of their identity. In this period, the Spanish Jesuit missionaries were the pioneers in cultivating and spreading the consumption of yerba mate. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the popularity of yerba mate extended to the whole colony.

The word “mate” comes from the Guarani “Caa-mate” where “Caa” means plant or herb, and “mate” refers to the gourd they used to drink it. They used yerba mate for nutritional and therapeutic purposes, but also as a spiritual symbol. history recognizes the Guarani people (from the Paraná jungle) as the masters of yerba mate and the creators of its special brewing technique. Read more about what yerba mate means for Argentina A bit of historyĪlthough the discovery of yerba mate can be attributed to the Kaingang ethnic group about 3000 years B.C. Yerba Mate is the most popular beverage in Argentina, surpassing coffee and tea. Learn more about the Yerba Mate plant here.Īfter being dried, ground and packed in a carefully controlled process the yerba mate leaves can be easily purchased in countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and some parts of Chile (nowadays, yerba mate can also be purchased and delivered in others regions of the world). The yerba mate plant can have a productive life of up to 100 years. This tree, called Ilex Paraguariensis, is part of a large family of species with more than 600 varieties.

The yerba mate tea is prepared with the leaves of the yerba mate tree from South America, which only grows in three countries: Argentina ( the world’s main producer), Brazil and Paraguay. It’s time to discover a natural infusion like no other! Where does yerba mate come from? In this top 50, Mate is placed above one of the most famous beers in the globe, the world’s best-selling energy drink, the beloved piña colada and whiskey.īut for many people, especially outside South America, it may be the first time they hear the term “yerba mate”. Yerba Mate has existed for many centuries and is today the number one drink for millions of people in Argentina (world’s leading producer), as well as in Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.Īctually, yerba mate was accepted as one of the one of the world’s “most surprising and pleasing discoveries” by the acclaimed magazine CNN Travel. Yerba Mate is a herbal infusion made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis, a tree that grows exclusively in certain subtropical regions of South America. As more and more health benefits of Yerba Mate continue to be discovered and confirmed, this natural drink from South America is booming all around the world.

Yerba mate translate