Yerba Mate Elaborado Con Palo

Brew & Taste

The brew from mate is pale yellow with slight hints of green. The taste is earthy, smoky and zesty. There is a bitterness, some may detect sharp notes. Newcomers have mixed feelings after the first sip. But a second, a third sip... and it's clear. The mysterious flavor is very appealing!

Origins

Mate is made from the leaves of the Paraguayan holly (Ilex paraguariensis), which is grown in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is one of the plants traditionally used by the Native Americans for its stimulating effects and amazing health benefits. It is an evergreen tree growing on the banks of streams at an altitude of 500-700m. It likes shade and protection from wind. In nature, it can grow up to 20m. The leaves are stiff, oval, with a scalloped edge, about 15cm long and 5cm wide. The first people to grow hollies were the Guarani, from whom the Jesuit missionaries learned. For the purpose of harvesting the leaves, the trees are kept at a maximum height of 8m, and its branches are trimmed every 3-4 years.

The production process involves 6 steps –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ harvesting, fermentation & oxidation, drying, aging, milling and packaging. The leaves and twigs are harvested mostly by hand. The plant material is stuffed into bags, where fermentation and oxidation begin. To complete the chemical changes, the leaves and twigs are exposed to a high temperature for short period. Drying takes place in special rooms where the temperature is maintained at around 90°C. Coarse grinding also takes place during the drying process. The harvest is then put into jute sacks. These are stored at a stable temperature for 12-24 months. The mate ripens in them. It is then milled, sorted and packaged.

Traditional maté preparation:

1. Maté is prepared in a maté gourd (hollowed-out and dried gourd) and drank hot or chilled using a bombilla (special metal straw).
2. Add 2-3 teaspoons of yerba maté into the gourd and cover with slightly warm water to give the leaves a firm consistency.
3. After a few minutes, pour hot water over the re-hydrated leaves and let it infuse for 3 minutes.
4. 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 bombilla.
5. You can repeat this process up to 5 times from one batch of mate. However, always infuse for a maximum of 3 minutes. If desired, use 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.