What is Mate Tea?

May 29, 2022

yerba mate loose leaf tea

What is Mate Tea?

Yerba Mate is an indigenous South American plant which is used to make a refreshing and light tea with a vegetal flavour & taste. It is enjoyed throughout the South and Central American continent as an energy boosting ingredient in beverages such as fizzy drinks and hot teas.

Yerba mate, a plant similar to tea, has already been cultivated and consumed in Argentina for hundreds of years before tea was introduced to the country from the Soviet Union in the 1920s.

Traditionally Mate is drunk through a bombilla (a metal straw with a filter) from a gourd (a hollowed-out seedpod bowl) and is carried around attached at the hip of the drinker. It is common to re-steep the pale green leaves throughout the day as well as mixing them with other herbs or serving the mate poured over ice.

yerba mate loose leaf tea

What are the benefits of Mate Tea?

Yerba Mate is known as a brain booster because of its stimulating properties which can be attributed to its caffeine content. This tea aids concentration, energy levels, and clarity of mind.

It has been cultivated and enjoyed by Amazonian tribespeople for hundreds of years for these naturally stimulating properties.

yerba mate loose leaf tea

What makes Mate Tea unique?

Yerba Mate is very unique as it can only be grown in certain parts of South America. Additionally, it is traditionally prepared in a hollowed-out gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla.

The bombilla has an enclosed end with small holes that act as a filter to ensure that one drinks the hot beverage rather than the leaves themselves. It is customary for Argentinans to carry this mate-making equipment with them, along with a thermos of hot water in order to enjoy and share Yerba Mate tea infusion all day long.

Mate is most commonly consumed in Central and South America, specifically Argentina, which consumes over 200,000 tonnes of Yerba Mate a year, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

yerba mate loose leaf tea

How to make Mate Tea?

Yerba Mate can be enjoyed hot or cold, but always without milk. If you are enjoying a Yerba Mate tea infusion hot, then our expert Tea Mixologists recommend brewing 1 Perfect Teaspoon at 100° for 4 minutes.

Start your Mate journey with our fan-fave, Great Taste Awarding winning Morning Kick or our London Angel store blend Lift Me Up, Angel!

yerba mate loose leaf tea

What's your favourite Yerba Mate Tea blend? Let us know on our socials @birdandblendtea or comment below.

Krisi Smith

Hi, I’m Krisi and I’m one of the Co-Founders of Bird & Blend. I’ve been working with tea for years & have even written a book about it. My specialty is tea innovation so I have the pleasure of creating all of our delicious blends & love coming up with all of our wacky new flavours.