Yerba Mate

Question: Question about yerba mate: how often should I change the yerba? I know that serious mate drinkers keep adding hot water to the yerba, but when should you start worrying about bacteria? Also, is it bad to let the yerba get cold between infusions?

Answer: Until the mate's been sitting around for a long time, or gone completely flavorless from over-use it's considered "good." Sometimes hardcore South Americans continue to use the same worn out gourd full of mate until long into the night. http://www.slashfood.com/2005/09/12/yerba-mate-the-pride-of-the-andes/

Question: Is there any interaction between Yerba Mate and Wellbutrin? I'm currently on Wellbutrin, which works wonders in combating my depression. I still find that I've got low energy, though, and I've heard that Yerba Mate can help alleviate that. So, I want to know whether it's safe to take Yerba Mate while on Wellbutrin. I don't want any negative side effects!

Answer: NO:Bupropion ( previously known as amfebutamone;Wellbutrin, Zyban) is an atypical antidepressant is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and does not iinteract with herbal tea Yerba mate Actually Yerba mate tea has been identified as one of the most upcoming popular food and beverage items sweeping across North America in the medical, scientific, media, and human wellness forums. Many have been talking about a new Yerba mate “culture” based around the culinary merits and health benefits of Yerba mate tea. Is it all just hype and fad created by people selling the tea? Maybe. But it’s hard for even the most skeptical not to recognize the (scientifically backed) extraordinary benefits Yerba mate tea can offer. Take care as always!

Question: Is yerba mate bad for you in any way, or is it ok to drink every day? Yerba Mate as used in South America. Nutritional Question.

Answer: All the people I know that drink Mate regularly have bad teeth. Besides that you can drink it forever. Jokes aside. It's basically tea.

Question: Is the stimulant in yerba mate different from the caffeine in tea? I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine. Is yerba mate different? Or just another form of caffeinated tea?

Answer: Absolutely Yes!! Here is the difference. Yerba Mate contains approximately 1/3 of the caffeine in coffee, plus it also contains Theobromine and Theophyllene which ameliorates the effect of the caffene. The result, you feel energized and mentally stimulated without any of the "downer" effects that come with straight caffeine.

Question: What is the proper pronunciation of Yerba maté/mate? I'm curious about the correct pronunciation of mate, the beverage prepared from the yerba mate plant. I've heard it pronounced mate, as in 'soul mate', and I've also heard it pronounced 'mah-tay' [more commonly]. Thoughts? Thanks!

Answer: It is mah-tay it means "good herb"

Question: Does yerba mate make you go to the bathroom? How soon does it kick in? I often have trouble with constipation and I hear yerba mate can help somewhat (which is more preferable to me than a stronger laxative e.g. senna). Does anyone have experience with this? It'd be great to know how soon the effects kick in so I can time my drinking of it conveniently! In my experience some laxative teas take awhile to work (overnight).

Answer: Yes! Definetely! I often drink it in the morning as soon as I get up and when the water gets colder and colder you simply can´t help going to the bathroom. It´s excellent for constipation and very natural.

Question: Does anybody know of a cocktail containing yerba mate? I've just tried terere; iced yerba mate sweetened with honey and containing a dash of chilli powder. Are there any traditional alcoholic drinks containing yerba mate?

Answer: I've been to Argentina and no one there served any kind of alcoholic drink mixed with yerba mate so I don't think there's anything traditional like that. They are all Malbec drinkers down there! :-) You could always try mixing yerbe mate with rum but I don't think it will be anything that great.

Question: Is a french press good for Yerba mate? i'm not too attached to the idea of carrying a gourd/bombilla/thermos bag around, and would rather carry around a travel french press with some mate in it all day. but apparently the best way to drink yerba is to have a lot of mate in a container (or gourd) and adding only a little bit of water at a time? that's what most yerba drinkers say - adding a little water at a time to extract the most nutrients. what do you other "expert" mate drinkers think of the french press method? it seems like you add a lot of water (16-18oz) for a couple of teaspoons worth of yerba, which i think would lessen the number of times you can refill the yerba while extracting nutrients. what do others that use the french press for yerba think?

Answer: Sure you can use mate in a French Press. Just be sure to get a little bit of cold water on the yerba before adding the hot water as to not scold the leaves. This will keep the nutrients in tact. Also, don't add boiling water. 16-18oz seems a bit much, try not to use more than 12. Also, with a french press you can't really reuse the yerba, but it tastes great, it keeps the nutrients, and it is much more convenient than carrying around a mate and bombilla.

Question: Does any one like to drink Yerba Mate? I love yerba mate. I don't know another soul who drinks it though.

Answer: I like it , I drink it at least twice at week, lots of caffeine! I also like coca tea that gives me a good buzz without the caffeine http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-4841580-2700047?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coca

Question: what is the best kinda of yerba mate tea? i dont really know what the difference is between yerba & regular tea (taste-wise), i love green tea and black tea and earl gray, lady gray, prince of whales etc. but do these compare at all to yerba mate? what are the best brands& kinds?

Answer: Yerba mate is grassy or hay like in taste, the effects are stimulating without a coffee like hang over. I am a tea connoisseur! Yerba mate is from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is a green tea with high caffeine. I would recommend buying it for a gourd and bombilla (bowl and straw traditionally used in South America to share mate with others)! The tea is relatively cheap to buy online, my favourite store is located in the USA at www.ma-tea.com . Black tea, my favourite is orange pekoe. Rooibos is a red tea from Africa, it is not mate. Green tea I like Gunpowder (tiny leaves are rolled into little bullet like shapes, very strong flavour) for all of these I would shop at www.coffeeam.com as they sell loose leaf teas. If you need any more information, please see my email.

Question: can i use any type of tea when curing my yerba mate gourd, or do i have to use the actual yerba mate? I just bought a gourd from teavana and i only bought 2 oz. of yerba mate, so i didnt want to waste any on curing it. Will i have to or can i use any type of tea?

Answer: The curing has one purpose : the removal of the inner soft tissues of the gourd. By removing the soft membrane it will insure that your first mate will not be so bitter. However if you want to use your gourd right away you don't have to cure it at all. The membrane will slowly be removed as you empty out the old mate and rinse with running water. The first couple of times the mate may have a more bitter taste by not curing it. You may find on other web sites, books or booklets that you must use old yerba mate in the curing process. This is not entirely necessary as the gourd will finally get its proper taste after several uses of the mate.

Question: In Arabic country's why are they drinking yerba mate when i read its causes cancer in lungs? I read an acticle on yerba mate that it can give you lung cancer , throat and brain cancer as yerba mate has a very large amount of caffeine and toxins that disrupt the body emune system allowing the body to die .Yerba mate keeps the body awake for too long and can cause brain damage as well i read in the article .They supply it to iran ,iraq ,libya and other arabic countrys .It comes from a woody tree in the south america's and there is 4 or 5 different labelled yerba mate product s on the shelves in you drink to much in can keep you awake for days.Choose your natural products carefully as research even saves lives in the plant world.

Answer: look at people smoking, that's done all over the world. we know damn well it will kill us but we do it anyway. it's just something people do. Do people in Arabic countries know that drinking yerba mate is potentially dangerous? If no, then something should be done, obviously.

Question: Benefits or Side Effects from Yerba Mate? I recently discovered Yerba Mate and from what I hear it seams like a healthy alternative to coffee. I would appreciate it if someone listed the benefits or possible side effects from drinking it. Thanks! Can it cause cancer like some studies suggest?

Answer: mate is bomb! less caffeine than coffee, but includes other stimulants, so it gives you a super boost without the jitters!

Question: How do I brew Yerba Mate tea? Yerba Mate is a loose tea that is very popular in Central and South America. Do I brew it like any other loose tea?

Answer: You have three main options: (i) buy and prepare yerba mate in tea-bag form (called "mate cocido") (ii) use loose-leaf yerba in a coffee plunger or chinese style tea-filter (also called mate cocido) (iii) prepare yerba mate the traditional way, using a mate-gourd Here's how to do it the traditional way (the best way!): * buy a mate/gourd from somewhere and make sure you "cure" it first - this is very important. See: http://mateshop.co.nz/a/curing-your-mate-gourd/ (1) fill the mate-gourd with yerba 2/3 or 3/4 of the way to the top (2) put your hand over the gourd and shake it a little bit on an angle, so that there is more yerba on one side (3) add a small amount of cold water to the side that has less yerba (this will allow the leaves to expand and relax) (4) heat up water in a kettle/pot until it is hot *but not boiling* (5) add some hot water to the mate (always on the side that has less yerba), then push in the bombilla straw (special straw made of metal or wood that has a filter at the bottom) (6) now you are ready to drink! (7) keep adding in a small amount of hot water after each few sips and make sure there is always a little bit of dry yerba in the mate so that the flavour will last longer. There are special mate starter kits to get yourself going if you don't have all of the equipment already. Que lo disfrutes!

Question: What is the correct way to pronounce yerba mate? Is it pronounced yerba matea or matay? @ Chris D, that is exactly the way my argentinean friends pronounce it and that is the way I do, but a sales rep kept correcting me and saying "matay" and I said "matee" just wanted to be sure there was a difference. American, Argentinean or whatever.

Answer: (mä'tā, mä-tā') matay

Question: How can i make a good Yerba Mate? I understand there are many ways to make a good Mate. I would appriciate as many answers as possible to try and find the perfect way. Thanks.

Answer: Mate Amargo "Bitter mate". By far the most popular: the traditional mate of the Gauchos, the Patagonians, the Guarani and others. Fill the mate gourd two-thirds full of yerba (yerba mate herb). The gourd may be capped with the palm, inverted, and shaken to bring dust to the top. Heat water in a pava (tea kettle) to near, but not quite, boiling (70°-85°C). (The water sings: it's warm; the bubbles form: it's hot; the bubbles release: it's very hot; the water boils: it's too hot.) Pour your hot water into a thermos or termo to keep it hot for subsequent servings. Pour a small amount of cold water on the lowest portion of the yerba in your mate. (This keeps the hot water from later "killing" your mate). Push the bombilla to the bottom of the gourd, cover the tip, and pour in the hot water. [Filling with hot water that does not wet all of the yerba will prolong the duration of your mate.] [As for the "anonymous respondent" who wrote of "grass clippings"--it is certainly not the opinion of nearly all of South America's human inhabitants. Besides... what kind of grass are we talking about so disparagingly?]