How to cook mate at home. Mate Brewing Methods

Probably, there is not a single person who would not know about this unusual drink. And this is not surprising, because mate tea is an integral part of the culture and traditions of many South American countries. The drink is known for its tonic properties, since it contains mateine. Outwardly, it resembles green tea, but in terms of its taste and aroma, mate (or mate) is a very special drink.

What is mate tea

Mate tea, or, as it is also called, Paraguayan tea, has nothing to do with the traditional drink from the leaves of tea bushes. For the manufacture of mate, dried and ground leaves and young shoots of the Paraguayan holly (yerba mate) are used.

This evergreen plant, or rather a tree, is found wild in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. For the production of the drink, it is grown on special plantations.

Paraguayan holly (lat. Ílex paraguariénsis)

Mate tea is often referred to as a group of ethnic teas. This category includes beverages from different nations that are similar in structure, method of brewing and use to tea. There are a lot of such drinks in the world, but five are the most widespread: cudin, rooibos, honeybush, lapacho and mate.

The taste of mate is unusual. It has both a slight bitterness, a sweetish aftertaste and a rich herbal aroma. Properly prepared drink has a transparent infusion of light green color.

Origin story

The exact time of the appearance of mate tea today is difficult to establish. However, there is evidence that the Indians living on the territory of modern Paraguay, this tonic drink was known not only before the arrival of Europeans, but even long before our era.

After the Spanish conquistadors conquered the Inca empire, they went to conquer Paraguay. It is to this period that the first surviving mention of this drink in history belongs.

The Indians called mate "the divine elixir of life" and drank, passing the calabash to each other like a pipe of peace. At first, the conquistadors were surprised by the reverent attitude of the indigenous population to this tea. However, the Spaniards soon appreciated the drink for its ability to cure scurvy and fever.

How mate is made

Real Paraguayan tea should have a golden green color and consist of three components:

1. Stems, which contain all the main useful substances.
2. Leaves that give the drink a characteristic taste and astringency.
3. Light dust, which indicates that the raw material was dried correctly.

Unlike traditional tea, for the production of which the upper buds and young tender leaves are plucked from the tea bush, the entire shoot is cut from the tree to produce mate. Harvesting is carried out from early spring to late autumn. After that, the raw material goes through the following processing:

• fast drying;
• additional drying;
• coarse grinding;
• excerpt;
• fine grinding;
• package.

Preparation of Paraguayan holly leaves

Depending on the processing method, several types of drink are distinguished:

1. Green. It is made according to traditional technology.
2. Fried. During its production, a roasting step is added.
3. Gold. Produced in Argentina and considered especially valuable. In the process of its manufacture, the raw materials are processed with smoke over fires, and then in clay ovens, for which special wood is used to kindle.

Today, not only traditional mate is produced, but also packaged (green and with various additives) and even instant. They say that it was developed specifically for the Argentina national football team: it is convenient to take such a drink with you on trips.

Compound

Holly leaves have a rich composition, and the mate drink, in terms of the presence of trace elements and vitamins in it, is comparable to green tea, and even surpasses it. If green tea contains 144 active substances, then Paraguayan tea contains 196 useful components. The composition of mate tea includes:

• a group of alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine and theophylline;
• vitamins A, C, E, P and group B (B1, B2, B5, B6);
• choline, flavonoids, amino acids and saponins;
• trace elements - magnesium, iron, sodium, sulfur, manganese, potassium, copper.

The caffeine contained in the drink is called mateine. A number of experts believe that it is identical to caffeine in chemical composition, but differs from it in properties. Due to the presence of this potent substance, tea from Paraguay has a tonic effect, and mate extract is used to create a range of energy and tonic drinks.

In South America, two types of this tea are distinguished. One of the drinks has a strong stimulating effect because it contains high concentrations of mateine. The second type of tea has a much milder tonic effect on the body.

Beneficial features

Tea has a positive effect on the nervous system and improves memory. It stimulates mental and physical activity, but its beneficial properties do not end there:

1. The drink removes toxins from the body and helps fight stress.
2. Due to the large amount of vitamins, it strengthens the immune system.
3. The drink is a powerful adaptogen, antioxidant and immunomodulator.
4. It perfectly tones because it contains mateine, but at the same time its action does not lead to insomnia.
5. Tea stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, speeds up the metabolism and helps cleanse the blood vessels.
6. Studying the beneficial properties of mate tea, scientists have found that it is a strong anti-aging agent.

Mate tea and its unique properties should be looked at by everyone who wants to lose weight. The benefits of mate are that it is a natural stimulant, promotes the burning of excess calories and the breakdown of fats. The drink itself is low-calorie, besides, it can significantly reduce appetite, while providing the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Harm and contraindications

With all its beneficial properties, mate tea also has contraindications, which include:

• increased acidity of the stomach;
• kidney disease;
• pregnancy at any time;
• lactation period;
• age up to 14 years;
• tendency to deposit salts in the body.

Do not drink mate tea too hot. Drinking too hot a drink is recognized as a suspected carcinogen to the human body. It is also not recommended to drink it in unlimited quantities.

How to brew mate tea

It is customary to drink Paraguayan tea from a special vessel - calabash, in which it is brewed. Traditionally, these vessels are made from gourds. It was from these fruits that in ancient times the Indians began to make the first containers for this drink.

Today, calabash can be made from a variety of materials, but the original "pumpkin" vessels are still widespread and very popular. However, the recipe for making this drink has not changed much. Consider how to brew mate:

1. The calabash is filled with tea leaves about 2/3 of the volume.
2. The hole of the calabash is closed with the palm of your hand, shaken several times, and then the tea leaves are slightly moistened with water.
3. Water for making mate must be purified and soft.
4. Bombilla is placed inside the swollen tea leaves, tilting the calabash at an angle of 45 degrees.
5. The bombilla is inserted once, it is not taken out, and the drink is never interfered with.
6. Then the calabash is completely filled with hot water.
7. The water temperature should be no higher than 75-80 degrees.
8. Mate tea is infused for 1 minute, and then drunk.
9. One brew can be brewed up to 7-9 times.

Mate culture

Mate drink is drunk either through a reed, or with the help of a special metal tube called a bombilla. At one end there is a strainer, which serves as a kind of filter that prevents tea leaves from entering the mouth.

Mate tea should be drunk after it has cooled down a bit, however, this drink should be consumed immediately after brewing. If he stands longer, then his infusion will acquire a bitter taste. As soon as the tea is drunk, and the liquid in the calabash is over, it can immediately be brewed again.

It is not customary to add sugar to this drink, but you can shade its taste with lemon juice. Also, many drink mate with milk, cream or fruit extracts. However, true connoisseurs are skeptical about such options for their favorite drink, preferring to drink it in its pure form.

Of course, for European residents, the attributes for brewing and drinking mate are in most cases exotic souvenirs that serve to give a special flavor to the interior. In tea ceremonies that take place in the clubs of lovers of mate, all the conditions of traditional ceremonies associated with the preparation and drinking of mate are necessarily observed.

The methods of brewing mate with or without calabash are very curious and uncomplicated.

When brewing a drink in a glass or ceramic dish (modern calabash is also made from this material), you will also get a healing and tasty drink.
The classic way to make mate.

2/3 of the volume of calabash is poured with dry mate, then the opening of the vessel is closed, the contents are shaken well several times - so that large particles remain at the bottom, and small ones move up. Then the container is tilted so that the mixture falls to one wall, it is necessary to insert the bombilla into the resulting void near the other wall and return the calabash to a vertical position. The bombilla is no longer touched or removed. Next, pour a little hot water along the bombilla line, not higher than 80 degrees, let it steam the composition. After swelling of the mass, a little more water is added, completely moistening the mate. They drink the finished drink through the bombilla, constantly adding hot water. The number of toppings is 10-15, until the tart taste is lost.

A very popular and simple way is to cook "boiled mate".

boiled mate

500 ml of water is poured into the cooking container, which is heated on fire to 60 degrees. Then pour 2 tablespoons of the dry mixture, which is mixed with water using a wooden spoon. After stirring, honey is added to taste, the composition is brought to a boil and quickly removed from the heat. You can't boil! The solution is filtered through a strainer, poured into cups.

cold mate

Especially good for drinking in summer, in dry and hot weather. To prepare 0.5 l of cold mate, you need to take 2 tablespoons of Yerba mate, the same amount of orange or lemon juice, sugar - at least 7 teaspoons. The composition is poured into a teapot (preferably a special one, for making “Yerba mate”), sugar is added, then 250 ml of boiling water is added. The drink is infused for 5 to 10 minutes. After cooling, the drink is ready to drink. Sprigs of mint, rose petals are placed at the bottom of the jug before serving, citrus juice is added, and many pieces of ice are added.

MATE with milk.

500 ml of low-fat milk is poured into the cooking container, brought to a temperature of 60 degrees on fire. Fall asleep 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dry mate, the composition is mixed, honey, sugar, cinnamon are added to taste, brought to a boil and quickly removed from heat.

Mate terre.

The cooking method is similar to the classic one. A jug with any cold natural citrus juice is preliminarily prepared. Then mate is brewed in the traditional classical way. The first portion of the calabash tea is drunk hot, then the contents of the calabash are topped up with cold juice from a jug. Such a cooking recipe is considered an excellent way to tone the body, relieve fatigue and fatigue.

Mate liqueur.

The drink was invented by Europeans. It is especially popular in Spain and Portugal. A liter of alcohol is poured into a glass or clay vessel and 0.5 kg of mate is added, the contents are shaken several times during the day. This must be done within 6 days. On the sixth day of exposure, the liquid is filtered and 2 liters of chilled sugar syrup are added. Then the vessel is tightly closed and aged for 2-2.5 months.
There are many ways to prepare mate with various additives in the form of dried fruits, flowers, herbs.

It can easily become the most favorite drink, to which you want to return both in summer and in winter. For residents of South American countries - Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, etc., an infusion of Paraguayan holly shoots is tea, but for us this name is rather arbitrary. Rather, a delicious and fragrant tonic drink.

How is mate tea made?

Under natural conditions, reaching 15, and on specialized plantations 2 meters, grows a branchy shrub Paraguayan holly. Every year it produces new shoots 30-50 cm long, which are cut along with the leaves. These shoots undergo a drying process at very high temperatures, completely changing their structure. After that, the branches are crushed on a crushing machine, producing a heterogeneous powder.

Mate has been used by the local population, as is known, since the time of the Inca Empire, and in Russia this outlandish tea was known only a couple of decades ago.

How to prepare mate tea?

The process of matepitiya is simple, but fascinating. All you need is a calabash and a bombilla. Calabash used to be a semicircular low gourd vessel, and now calabash is a ceramic, glass or porcelain container. There are also clay ones, here they are closest to the authentic matepiya. But initially, calabash was made from a gourd, the top of which was cut off, the inner pulp was removed, and the base was thoroughly dried in the sun, later they began to dry in an oven. Matepiya is a ritual, so decorated dishes were an integral part of the ceremony. The dried form of a pumpkin was decorated with painted drawings, set in leather or silver, and inscriptions were cut out.

To make mate, a sevador (the person who brews mate) pours the ground mixture into the calabash about 1/4 full. Then the vessel is tilted to one side in order to pour out all the tea leaves and free up part of the bottom, where heated water is poured. You only need a little bit of liquid, just to soak the entire tea leaves. After a couple of minutes, the swollen mixture is shaken, a bombilla tube is inserted into the calabash, and filled to the top with water. Bombilla was created specifically for mate, so the flask-shaped strainer, located on one edge, does not let in tea leaves particles, filtering the drink well. It rests on the very bottom, in the thick, and it is from there that slightly tart tea is sipped.

Water is very important for mate. To get the full taste of tea, it must be soft, preferably filtered. The water temperature is 75-85 degrees. Do not use boiling water, otherwise the drink will give off unpleasant bitterness.

Expert opinion
It is important to properly withstand the two-stage process of brewing yerba mate: first, the tea swells, and then it is completely filled with water. One serving of tea leaves can be used up to 7-9 times, just adding warm water as the drink is consumed.

How to brew mate in a teapot?

If you do not have the necessary attributes, but have yerba mate, do not despair, but brew the mixture in a European way. Pour 5 tablespoons of mate into a teapot per 1 liter of water and fill with water. After 4-5 minutes, pour the infusion into cups using a strainer to filter from tea leaves.

If you want to slightly change the taste of classic mate, make a cold cocktail: pour 3 tablespoons of tea leaves into a teapot, fill with water at room temperature. After 10 minutes, pour into glasses with prepared mint leaves, vanilla pods, honey or fruit juice. Tonic, tasty, unusual.

We advise everyone to buy mate tea:

• who wants to try something new and unusual;
• who needs to fully concentrate for a while, become collected and active;
• who needs to increase the body's immune resistance.

Everything for mate-drinking - yerba mate, calabash and bombilla - is offered in the online store of the Russian Tea Company. All our products are original and high quality, because they come directly from the manufacturer. Buy mate tea from us and enjoy a tonic refreshing drink in a warm friendly company or family circle.

Mate tea is an excellent tonic drink made from young shoots and dried leaves of the Paraguayan holly. Every year mate tea is gaining more and more popularity. What is the reason for this, what is the use of mate?

Video about the Argentine tonic drink

Get to know amazing tea

Mate has a slightly bitter taste, but is milder than an equal serving of green tea. The main advantage of the drink is an invigorating property, which is achieved due to the high content of alkaloids (theobromine, caffeine, theophylline) and B vitamins, vitamins A, P, E, C. In addition, mate contains a lot of trace elements: S, Mg, K, Mn , Na, Fe, Cu, Cl. All this puts mate on par with the best teas.

This magical drink perfectly cheers up, increases the body's resistance to stress. Unlike other drinks, mate does not have such negative manifestations as anxiety, anxiety, sleep disturbance, emotional instability, nervous tension, etc. Sleep is not disturbed when consumed due to the fact that it does not provoke, but rather inhibits the release of adrenaline. Mate users report that after drinking the drink, they need less time to sleep and rest.

Mate is an ingredient in some energy drinks. The lack of addiction and addiction makes it an ideal coffee replacement. Another unique property of mate is the reduction of cravings for alcoholic beverages and smoking.

Useful properties of mate

The benefits of mate have been studied by many scientists. A great contribution to the study of the properties of the drink was made by the research of French scientists. They confirmed the benefits of eating mate, because. it contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary for a person, which are required for the normal functioning of the body.

This is a complex of essential vitamins, useful resins, essential oils, carotene. In addition, it contains nicotinic and pantothenic acid, biotin, riboflavin, a complex of trace elements such as calcium and phosphorus derivatives.

Scientists have come to the unanimous opinion that such a rich plant material is a rarity in nature. After that, the effect of drinking a drink on brain activity was studied. As it turned out, mate allows you to accumulate a sufficient amount of phosphorus, which has a beneficial effect on the conduction of impulses by nerve cells. This improves memory and overcomes mental fatigue.

None of the teas has such a positive effect on the body as mate, the properties of the drink are able to restore the body at the cellular level. It is a real cleanser of the circulatory system due to the chlorophyll it contains. And an inexhaustible supply of minerals and vitamins help maintain good health and good health.

How to brew the "drink of the gods"

Mate is brewed in a special vessel - calabash. The original vessel is made from gourd gourd. Pumpkin is subjected to special processing. All pulp and oil are removed from it, which would give the vessel a bitter taste. After that, the future vessel is dried. In mass production (in factories), the gourd is fired. The calabash (calabash) is then decorated. Patterns are drawn on it, various drawings and inscriptions are burned or scratched out. The mouth of the mate vessel is wrapped with alpaca or silver.

In the homeland of mate, Argentina, it is believed that before use, you need to “revive” the vessel, accustoming it to the hand. This is a real ritual, similar to the tea ceremony. It is carried out in order to clean the inner walls of the calabash from the natural film. To do this, mix mate with sugar, pour into a vessel and pour hot water.

After that, the calabash is slightly shaken so that the tea remains on the walls of the vessel. After that, the vessel must be allowed to dry. One of the important steps in the "revitalization" of calabash is the addition of crushed coal to it (for example, for a hookah). Then the opening of the vessel must be covered with a hand and shaken again. After that, mate is filled up to half of the vessel and completely filled with hot water. Calabash with a drink should be left for 12 hours, then clean the vessel and rinse.

But there is an easier way to "revive" the vessel - fill it halfway with dry mate, pour hot water over it and leave it for a day. After that, clean the mate from the calabash with the tip of a spoon wrapped in a cloth.

So, our vessel is "quickened". Now you can start brewing the drink. With classic brewing, 2/3 of the vessel must be filled with mate tea leaves. After that, you need to tilt the calabash so that the dry mate crumbles to one of the walls, forming a void on the other. Place a bombilla, a special tube for mate, against the empty wall of the vessel, covering its upper opening with your finger. This is done in order to prevent pieces of tea leaves from getting inside it.

Now, in small portions, start pouring warm water into the vessel (up to 60 ° C). Water should only moisten the tea leaves, you do not need to pour it too much. After that, hot water must be added to the calabash (up to 80 ° C). As the Indians say, boiling water burns the soul of mate, and at the same time, the taste of the drink is lost. After a few minutes, mate can be drunk. You should not insist the drink for a long time - with long brewing, it can be bitter.

Brewed mate should be drunk slowly, sipping through the bombilla in small sips. It is almost impossible to get burned at the same time, because. protects poured at first warm (rather than hot) water. You can add sugar, milk, honey or jam to mate. After the vessel is empty, it can be filled with hot water again. 5-6 toppings are allowed.

There is another way to prepare a drink. Cold mate or "Terere" has a slightly bitter taste. To prepare it, dry tea leaves need to be poured with cold water and insisted for up to an hour. You can add sugar, ice, mint leaves, lemon or orange juice to cold mate. It is believed that cold mate is good for a lonely person, it encourages thinking.

Are there any contraindications to the use of mate?

Mate has practically no contraindications. But it should be drunk with caution for people who have a tendency to salt deposits, people with kidney disease and high acidity. The drink is not recommended for those for whom components such as theobromine or theophylline are dangerous, as well as for pregnant and lactating women.

There is an opinion that mate leads to the development of cancer. Indeed, as a result of research by Uruguayan scientists, a link was noted between esophageal cancer and tea consumption. This is explained by the carcinogenicity of certain substances that make up mate and the regular thermal effect on the esophagus that occurs when drinking a hot drink. How can one not recall the words of the Indians that boiling water burns the soul of mate. Steep boiling water not only gives bitterness to the drink, but can also cause a negative effect of tea on the body.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that carcinogens can cause cancerous tumors in those organs that do not come into contact with a hot drink. A link has been found between mate consumption and an increase in lung and bladder cancers.

But this information is relevant for those countries where they drink mate every day in unlimited quantities. If you use tea in small quantities (2-4 cups per week), there will be no negative impact on the body.

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Mate is popular not only in South America. On all continents, Mate is drunk not only as an infusion that helps people keep the body in good shape without causing harm, but also as a tradition that unites people.

The use of special utensils fully reveals the healing and gustatory qualities of Yerba Mate and gives the ceremony of drinking Mate a special charm.

WARE for MATE

Traditional utensils for making mate - Calabash(calabaza) - a vessel for brewing and drinking mate. It is made from the fruits of lagenaria, the so-called bottle gourd.

Calabash is usually round in shape. As a rule, the outer walls of the calabash are covered with a pattern or carving. Quite often, for beauty, calabash is set in silver or leather. But they also make vessels for mate from cow horn, coconut, porcelain, faience, wood, plastic, iron, silver and even gold.

Connoisseurs of mate claim that it is pumpkin calabash that provides the optimal temperature regime for brewing and perfectly preserves the taste characteristics of the drink.

In addition to calabash, an indispensable attribute for drinking Mate is BOMBILLA(bombilla). If translated literally, then this is the "straw" through which they drink Mate. The tubule may be straight or slightly S-curved. In the upper part of the tube there is a slightly flattened mouthpiece, and in the lower part (which falls into the water) there is a spherical thickening with many small holes, a kind of strainer.

The tube is usually 15-25 cm long and is traditionally made of silver or stainless steel (rarely bone, cane or wood). Recently, plastic bombillas have been the most widely used.

Fans of hotter Mate use shorter and made of wood bombillas, while those who prefer a colder drink use longer and more authentic "straws" made of silver.

HOW TO PREPARE CALABASS

Important! After acquiring the calabash you like, you need to prepare it for further service. This is done in order to clean the pores of the inner walls of the calabash from the natural film remaining during the production of the pumpkin. Without proper preparation, when drinking from calabash, unpleasant taste sensations and strong bitterness may appear.

There are many practical ways to prepare a calabash for a long service, as they say, "accustom to the hand."

We present some of them:

Mix a small amount of Yerba Mate with sugar, pour into calabash, pour some hot water. After that, shake a little so that Yerba Mate remains on the walls of the vessel. Let dry. You need to take a coal (you can use coal for a hookah), close the hole of the calabash and shake the coal inside. Next, add Yerba Mate to half of the calabash, pour hot water over it, and leave for 12 hours. Then, having cleaned the calabash from Yerba Mate, rinse it.

Half fill the calabash with Yerba Mate, pour hot water over it and leave it for the whole day. After that, pour out all the contents and clean the inside with the tip of a spoon wrapped in a thin soft cloth. It is advisable to do this twice, until completely cleaned.

For expensive calabash made by a craftsman, decorated with precious metals. To prepare such a calabash for a reliable and long service, you need to pour Yerba Mate on half of the vessel and fill it to the top with good cognac. Leave for 24 hours. After that, clean the calabash and rinse with cold water. Dry with a soft cloth, pour a little cognac again, and spread it over the walls of the vessel. Leave until completely dry.

This method will give the calabash a flavor that harmonizes gently with freshly made mate.

HOW TO STORE CALABASS

If you drink Mate every day, then you can leave the calabash moist when preparing a fresh serving, peeling it and rinsing it. If you drink Mate sometimes, then after rinsing, turn the hole down, put the calabash so that the water runs down the walls of the vessel. Thanks to this, the calabash will not deteriorate and will serve you for a long time.

WHY IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY BETTER?

Why is it better to use natural pumpkin for Mate? And why is it necessary to pour just such an amount of Yerba Mate (about 2/3 parts, regardless of the volume of the vessel), fill it with water at a temperature of 65 ° C to 80 ° C, and then drink through a bombilla?

Falling asleep 2/3 of the volume and pouring water at a certain temperature creates conditions under which Yerba Mate becomes a filter through which water, penetrating to the bottom of the vessel and moistening the leaves, most extracts useful substances, accumulating them at the bottom.

And the bombilla serves to draw in the resulting infusion. Mate enters the optimal concentration directly into the human blood through the mucous membranes in the mouth. Therefore, the effect comes immediately, unlike Yerba Mate, prepared with a lot of water and drunk from a cup. Getting into the blood through the stomach, some of the beneficial properties are lost under the influence of gastric juice.

When drinking in the traditional way, up to 75% of the useful substances of Yerba Mate are extracted, when prepared in the European way (in a teapot, in a cup), no more than 35%.

It is also important not to stir the Bombilla Yerba Mate in the vessel to evenly rinse the leaves and preserve the flavor.

When using pumpkin and bombilla made from natural materials, such as cane, the most tangible effect is achieved, since all components are natural, and the taste of Mate becomes extraordinary. When using any other materials, the taste changes.

If for some reason you prefer to drink Mate in a cup, or brew it in a teapot, the volume of brewed Mate should be in the proportion of 1 to 4, because if, by analogy with tea, you brew a teaspoon of Yerba Mate in a large amount of water, useful substances will dissolve, only coloring the water, and you will not feel the taste.

When drinking Yerba Mate, one must understand that Yerba is not brewed in a vessel. Mate, by analogy with tea, does not need to be insisted, but you need to “wash” the leaves with water, drinking the resulting infusion, adding hot (no more than 80 ° C) water again and again. If Yerba insist, then after a few minutes it will be bitter, and if Yerba Mate is not of the highest quality, without proper drying and aging, then the bitterness will be stronger.

COOKING MATE

Unlike tea, brewing Mate means not only pouring hot water into the Yerba calabash, but also keeping it in favorable conditions for further drinking.

There are many ways to prepare Mate. Strong Mate (Gaucho, Amargo, Cimarron) or green. "Sweet" Mate contains sugar or honey.
People say: “Sweet Mate is drunk by townspeople, women and gringos, but a real gaucho drinks strong!”. Mate "Terere" is brewed with cold water, often mixed with juice. Such Mate quenches thirst well. It is more popular in the south of Brazil and Paraguay, where it is always very hot.

For the preparation of various recipes, it is recommended to use pure water from mountain springs. To sweeten Mate, it is better to use cane sugar or fructose. When using honey, keep in mind that when the water temperature exceeds 65°C, the properties of honey are lost.

For hot Mate, the water temperature should be no more than 80 ° C, which allows Yerba Mate to “open up” better, releasing useful substances. At higher temperatures, Mate quickly loses its flavor.

Classic way

Cooking traditional Mate is an established custom that allows you to “open yerba” and, thereby, enrich your body as much as possible with the power of this gift of nature. For this, proportions and a certain sequence of actions are observed.

More demanding and versed in traditions drink Mate exclusively from calabash. The size of the calabash is individual: a large one is suitable for drinking Mate for several people, a small one for an individual.

MATE TRADITIONAL - MATE AMARGO (Strong, rich Mate)

	Pour calabash Yerba Mate to 2/3 of the volume.
	Cover the opening of the calabash with the palm of your hand and gently shake it, combining with circular motions. This is done so that the small particles of Yerba remain on the surface.
	Tilt the calabash so that Yerba Mate falls to one wall, and a void forms near the other, into which you need to insert the bombilla. Plugging the upper end of the bombilla with your finger to keep out air, place the bombilla with a strainer on the bottom so that its lower end with small holes touches the bottom, and shake Yerba slightly so that it sprinkles the bombilla. Return the calabash to an upright position. Bombilla must be motionless. It is installed once without removing or stirring.
	Pour some hot water (75-80°C) down the line of the bombilla and let it soak in. This is done so that the water, flowing to the bottom, “washes” the bombilla and moistens the Yerba from below. This will firm up the bombillo in the calabash and prevent small Mate particles from getting into it. Repeat topping up with a gradual increase in the amount of water until Yerba Mate is completely moistened. If you very carefully pour water in a thin stream, the Yerba on the other side will remain dry for quite a long time. Such gradual hydration from each new portion of water will prolong the taste sensations of matepiya.
	Water should not be hotter than 70-80°C. If you pour Mate with boiling water, then it quickly loses its taste properties and begins to taste bitter. In a properly prepared Mate, dry tea leaves should swell and fill the jug to the top. If part of the tea leaves on top of the jug is dry, this is normal, because. it will be brewed in the process of subsequent fillings with water. Now you can add water to the edges of the calabash and drink the first strong, most valuable sip of Mate.
	Drink the finished Mate through the bombilla, constantly topping up with water. The number of toppings is individual, but after 8-12 Mate is considered lavado, i.e. "washed". After pouring hot water Mate begin to drink almost immediately, the infusion time ranges from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. From too long insistence, Mate also begins to taste bitter. They drink Mate slowly, sipping the thickest from the bottom of the jug in small sips.

Other Ways to Make Mate

MATE TERERE

It is prepared, like the traditional one, but instead of hot water, calabash is poured with cold water with ice, with the addition of lemon or orange juice. This method quenches thirst very well, at the same time filling the body with energy.
Mate TERERE is drunk during the hot season, adults and children like it.

MATE RUSO (Mate Russo)

Prepared in the traditional way. To the volume of Yerba Mate, which is usually prepared, add a pinch of dry grass: mint, currant leaves, raspberries, strawberries, lingonberries, St. John's wort, linden flowers. Pour the resulting collection into the calabash, closing the neck of the vessel with the palm of your hand and shake.
Then proceed as you would for a traditional mate.
This recipe invigorates well, nourishes the body with microelements, helps to cure colds, replenish the body with potassium.
In the conditions of the Russian winter, Mate Ruso is a great way to support the protective properties of the body of both children and adults.

MATE COCIDO (Mate Cosido)

Brewed Mate.

MATE COCIDO CON LECHE (Mate Cocido con leche)

Brewed with Mate milk.

Pour milk (500 ml), preferably non-fat, into a container for cooking, put on fire and heat
up to a temperature of 50-60°C.
Add 20 gr. (2 tablespoons) Yerba Mate, stir, add honey or sugar to taste, bring to a boil, but do not boil. Remove from heat, strain through a sieve, pour into cups.

Such Mate is very useful for children during the period of growth, since, in combination with milk, it supplies the growing body with many necessary and healthy elements.
You can add sugar or honey to taste.

MATE FRIO (Mate Frio), ICE MATE

Cold Mate

Pour into a teapot with a volume of 500 ml 50 gr. Yerba Mate and pour hot water 80-90°C, add sugar or honey to taste and let it brew for a few minutes.

Put on the bottom of a glass or jug ​​with a capacity of 0.5 liters. sprigs of mint, rose petals or vanilla and fill completely with ice cubes.
Pour the infused drink from the teapot, filtering through a sieve, into a glass or jug ​​with ice.
You can add citrus juice or syrup to taste.
This recipe perfectly quenches thirst and energizes on a hot day.

There is no need to offer recipes based on alcohol, in view of the fact that all these recipes have no culture under them, they are created solely by one's own desire, and desires are based on the needs of everyone.

Have a nice metepiya. And be healthy!

More about MATE:

Useful properties, chemical composition, production features