seven ways to prepare yerba mate
DESCRIPTION
Seven Ways to Prepare Yerba MateTRANSCRIPT
www.buenaondafoods.com
Intro Yerba Mate is common in Argentina, Brazil,
Uruguay and Paraguay. It contains less caffeine than coffee and is
often compared to green tea. The South American beverage contains
antioxidants and is gaining renown in North America as a healthy alternative to coffee.
The beverage is traditionally sipped through a metal bombilla from a gourd but you have many options when it comes to drinking yerba mate.
www.buenaondafoods.com
1) Gourd and Bombilla The most common way to
drink yerba mate. Mate is placed in the gourd
which is filled with water. Tea becomes infused and
is sipped through the metal bombilla which acts as both the straw and strainer.
The gourd can be refilled ten or more times before the mate loses its flavor and potency (is said to be lavado).
www.buenaondafoods.com
1) Gourd and Bombilla Warm water is usually poured from a
thermos which keeps the water hot (about 180 degrees F).
Our preference is to use the gourd and bombilla but this is not always convenient. Especially if you are driving or are at your desk at work.
www.buenaondafoods.com
2) Mate Cocido in Tea Bags Yerba Mate in tea bags are commonly
available online or in some grocery stores.
Simply add a tea bag to a cup of hot water.
Control the strength of the tea by adjusting the time it is steeped.
www.buenaondafoods.com
3) Brew in a Coffee Machine Believe it or not you
can make a decent cup of yerba mate using a regular coffee machine.
Simply add a few tablespoons of loose leaf yerba mate into the filter, add water and let it brew.
www.buenaondafoods.com
3) Brew in a Coffee Machine If you enjoy a strong tasting and
potent yerba mate this is a good method of preparing the tea because you can add a much as you like and can even run the water through the tea twice.
www.buenaondafoods.com
4) French Press If you can brew
mate in a coffee machine then why not a French press?
Place tea at the bottom of the press, fill with hot water and allow to steep.
www.buenaondafoods.com
4) French Press When the tea is steeped to your
preference, push down on the press slowly to concentrate the herb to the bottom of the glass. Then pour the tea into your favorite cup or mug.
Adjust the amount of yerba mate and steeping time to adjust the strength of the tea.
www.buenaondafoods.com
5) Tea Infuser Just as you would
prepare any loose leaf tea you can use a tea infuser.
Fill the infuser about half way full of yerba mate and add to a cup of hot water.
Good for a light cup of tea.
www.buenaondafoods.com
6) Sun Tea If you live in a warm or sunny area you can
make tea on your front porch. Add yerba mate in tea bags or loose leaf yerba
mate in an infuser to a large jug of water. Cover the jug so that no leaves or dust will get
into the tea. Place in a sunny spot for most of the
afternoon. The rays from the sun will steep your tea but
the mate will not be hot so you may want to enjoy…
www.buenaondafoods.com
7) Iced Yerba Mate On a warm day you may not be in the
mood to sip a hot beverage. Enjoy an iced yerba mate by brewing up
some tea in one of the methods above and place the tea in a refrigerator to cool.
Once the liquid is cool, enjoy in a tall glass over ice.
You can also enjoy cold yerba mate by simply adding cold water or lemonade to your gourd.
Additional information To find out more about yerba mate and
browse our selection of Latin American foods, visit www.buenaondafoods.com.
Our selection of yerba mate can be found on our web site.
Recipes and ideas are added regularly to our blog.
www.buenaondafoods.com