Brazil Yerba Maté Despalada Green – Organic Yerba Maté

Brew & Taste

Once you start steeping Organic Brazil Yerba Maté Despalada Green in hot water, you’ll notice the infusion taking on a bright, light yellowish-green color with an intense yet pleasant aroma of fresh leaves. The first sip is smooth, mild, and not overtly bitter – the latter only appears in the background, making the infusion pleasantly mature. The fresh, green notes can remind you of a combination of young nuts, herbal meadows, and a slight grassiness.
Compared to the usual Argentinian maté, this Brazilian variant is more rounded. It works as a good starting point for those who have yet to try maté. The astringency is not as noticeable and not pungent at all, so you can savor it throughout the entire day. The aftertaste unveils slightly aromatic notes of herbs and a subtle freshness, beckoning you to take another sip. It’s great either hot (70-80°C) or as a cold tereré. In both cases, you’ll notice its pure, green character.

Origins

Yerba maté comes from the southern Brazilian region of São João do Triunfo. The location lies in the so-called araucaria forest – a mixed ombrophilous forest that’s considered the natural ‘birthplace’ of the Paraguayan holly plant, Ilex paraguariensis, and the foundation of yerba maté. The plantations are located at an altitude of 500-700 m, where fertile soil, humid subtropical climate, warm summers, cooler winters, and even rainfall throughout the year all come together to create the perfect conditions.
Yerba maté grows here in the natural shade of araucaria trees, which protect it from direct sunlight and wind and create a microclimate for Paraguayan hollies that’s almost identical to their wild conditions. This agroforestry method of cultivation promotes biodiversity, conserves soil, and gives the leaves their characteristic fresh color and milder flavor.
Harvesting is done by hand, taking into account the longevity of the trees. Yerba maté is pruned so that the plant constantly produces new shoots and remains fresh, even after dozens of years. Immediately after harvesting, the leaves and stems are quickly heated with a stream of hot air in a process called ‘sapeco’. This deactivates enzymes and preserves the bright green color, fresh taste, and natural bioactive content. Unlike traditional methods, the leaves don’t come into contact with smoke or fire, so you won’t find any notes of smokiness in the resulting beverage.
This process is followed by slow drying (2-3 hours), again without smoke, only with controlled heat. This gently removes excess moisture, but preserves the aroma, color, and most of the natural components. The leaves are then separated from the twigs (creating what is known as ‘canchada’) and subsequently cut and sifted to the required fraction for each batch separately to ensure consistent quality.
This maté is a product of a family company with more than 80 years of experience in growing yerba maté and more than 20 years of export history. Because this yerba maté comes exclusively from their farms, we can follow its entire story – from seed to teapot (or maté gourd, if you prefer).
Let's add that Ilex paraguariensis leaves are a natural source of a whole range of valuable substances, including, for example:
phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acids,
caffeine and theobromine (naturally stimulating alkaloids),
minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium),
plant-based fiber,
B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6).
Thanks to the combination of these substances and gentle, smoke-free processing, you can enjoy yerba maté, which is both a pleasantly mild drink and a functional ‘plant booster’ for every day.
Traditional maté preparation:
Maté is prepared in a maté gourd (hollowed-out and dried gourd) and drunk hot or chilled using a bombilla (a special metal straw).
Add 2-3 teaspoons of yerba maté into the gourd and cover with slightly warm water to give the leaves a firm consistency.
After a few minutes, pour hot water over the re-hydrated leaves and let it infuse for 3 minutes.
Drink with a bombilla straw. There is a small strainer at the bottom to prevent any leaves from getting into the straw. Do not make the infusion too strong to avoid clogging the bombilla.
You can repeat this process up to 5 times from one batch of yerba maté. However, always infuse for a maximum of 3 minutes. Optionally, add sugar, lemon, orange, rum, cognac or milk to flavor.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.