Brazil Yerba Maté Green – Organic Maté Powder

Brew & Taste

Organic Brazil Yerba Maté Green powder is ideal for dissolving in hot or cold water. Once you’re done mixing, you’ll get a vibrantly green, slightly cloudy drink you can enjoy in its entirety, slight sediment included. You can look forward to a mild, pleasantly rounded astringency along with natural green tones and subtle herbs reminiscent of young leaves, freshly mown grass, or sweetish herbs. Unlike the typical Argentinian yerba maté, this Brazilian variety is harmonious, ‘greener’, and less gritty. The taste unravels slowly and the aftertaste has a long, refreshing note. Thanks to the powdered form, each sip is intense, but not overtly so. You can have it as a mild morning starter or prepare a more concentrated shot to get through a busy afternoon.

Origins

Paraguayan holly (Ilex paraguariensis), the source of this interesting powder, grows at an altitude of approximately 500–700 m above sea level in São João do Triunfo (Paraná region in southern Brazil). The plantations are located in araucaria (mixed ombrophilous) forest, which is considered their place of origin. Araucaria trees provide natural shade for the holly trees, so the leaves are protected from the scorching sun, similar to the conditions found in the wild. As a result, they retain their fresh green color, a milder taste without sharp, bitter notes, herbal tones, and a high content of chlorophyll and antioxidants.
The family company that grows and processes this yerba maté has more than 80 years of experience with maté and has been exporting it worldwide for over 20 years. Everything comes exclusively from their own farms, which allows them to control every step. The leaves are harvested by hand and the trees are constantly pruned so that they can form new, healthy shoots and “bear fruit” for decades to come.
Processing involves several gentle steps. Freshly harvested leaves, including twigs, first undergo ‘sapeco’, or rapid heating with hot air. This deactivates enzymes while preserving the bright green color, fresh taste, and natural nutrients. All this is done without any contact with smoke or open fire.
This is followed by slow drying using controlled heat (again without smoke) on conveyor belts. This takes 2-3 hours. Afterwards, the leaves need to be separated from the twigs and the crushed blend called ‘canchada’ has to be sorted based on the size to keep consistency intact. Finally, the leaves are finely ground into powder, sometimes with the addition of small pieces of stems, as dictated by traditional Brazilian style. The result is a very fine, rich green powder that contains a natural cocktail of bioactive substances, including:
phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acids,
caffeine and theobromine,
minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium),
fiber,
B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6).
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.