Nine Things You Might Not Know About Yerba Mate

So, you probably got that it rhymes with “hey”, not “eight”, but what don’t you know about yerba maté yet? Read on to learn some of the lesser-known facts about this fascinating infusion…

1. Yerba maté comes from a plant in the holly family, complete with red berries and all. It’s harvested from the leaves and twigs of the plant.
2. Traditional yerba maté is Green Yerba Maté. In more recent years, Roasted Yerba Maté and flavored yerba matés have become increasingly popular.
3. Yerba maté was originally cultivated by the Guarani people of South America, and today it’s wildly popular over most of South America.
4. The average per capita consumption of yerba maté in Uruguay is a whopping 10 pounds per person. That’s a lot of maté!
5. In many parts of South America, people love their maté on the go. They carry drinking gourds (like the one pictured above) or thermo-insulated flasks and yerba maté leaves with them whenever they leave the house, then stop at one of the many hot water stations along the road whenever they need a refill.
6. For many generations, yerba maté was the favored drink of South American gauchos (cowboys), who ate pretty much nothing but beef during their time on the range, and who supplemented their diets with ample amounts of maté for much-needed vitamins and minerals.
7. Female yerba maté plants are much milder and flavor and lower in caffeine than their male counterparts.
8. Roasted maté makes a great shaken cocktail. When shaken, it gets foamy and takes on a creamy texture. Blends like Caramel Cream Yerba Maté and Cocoa Raspberry Yerba Mate are especially delicious when blended with milk, cream and rum or a creamy liqueur. Yum!
9. Maté is also used to make a cold-infused drink called tereré. Tereré is made with yerba maté leaves and either cold water and (optionally) sugar, or with fruit juice (citrus juices and pineapple juice being the most popular options). You can also add dried herbs, such as mint or lemongrass, for extra flavor or for health reasons.

Good Morning Maté is one of our favorite wake-up blends. Cinnamon and cloves give it a rich spiciness, roasted maté gives it a bold caffeine kick, and coconut adds a tropical flavor and cornflowers make it a visual delight for your morning routine. Start your mornings with one of our many yerba maté offerings!