The Mate Mandate

by

A Tongue-in-Cheek Guide to Yerba Mate

For those looking to skip the written guide and head directly to the instructions, Click here to jump to video guide

If you know me well—or even if you’ve simply glanced at my license plate—you will know that I am quite the proponent of yerba mate, a wildly popular tea from Argentina. Preparing a cup and thermos of this caffeinated, bitter delight has become part of my daily ritual. I of course learned of the beverage during my year spent in Argentina after high school, where it seemed as if each and every native was lost was utterly dependent on it. Ironically, I never took to the drink during my time there, instead opting for the tried-and-true cup of Joe to stay awake during the long days of school. Yerba mate was an acquired taste that I did not appreciate until a short time after departing from Argentina.

Nowadays, every morning at the McGuire residence starts with a thermos of hot water and a fresh cup of mate. It has become a staple that fuels my morning readings and prayers. My hope is that you too will enjoy this drink.

Given the great appreciation I have developed for the beverage, I’ve been known to give away several yerba mate “kits” in the past. Should you happen to be one of these fortunate beneficiaries, I’d like to welcome you to my cursory and idiosyncratic guide to mate brewing. Of course, you might be wondering, Can’t I just buy mate in tea bags, or even use a French Press? Well, actually yes… but, then again, what would be the fun in that?

A Word on Mate Cups

If you’ve received a mate kit from me, it will include a metal straw with a filter (called a bombilla), a pack of loose-leaf yerba mate, and a mate cup. While traditionally the mate leaves are poured into a hollowed-out gourd, I generally avoid these and opt for metal, porcelain, or glass cups, which are not prone to mold growth or cracking. While this may disappoint purists, I find this to be well worth the trade-off.

For those looking for an overview: Quite simply, the mate cup is filled with the loose leaf tea, the bombilla is inserted, and the hot water is poured into the cup in spurts, whereafter one drinks through the bombilla until hearing the trademark slurp sound from the bottom of the cup. Continue reading for details on each of the steps.

The Leaves & Bombilla

Mate is typically bought in bags of loose leaf. Personally, I like the menos polvo brands, which translates to “less dust”. These make for a much smoother drinking experience, with less unwanted content making its way up the bombilla. The amount of leaves you pour into the cup varies depending on how much caffeine you intend to ingest and whether you are drinking solo or sharing with friends. Your own experimentation will solve this question for you.

You can insert the bombilla either before or after pouring the tea leaves, but once inserted, I must implore you to leave it in place. For some reason every time I attempt to introduce someone to the wonders of mate—almost without fail, and despite my last-second pleas—they insist on stirring the bombilla. I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps it is the same irresistible urge that causes us to “click” the pair of tongs at the Chinese buffet… but I digress. If you do commit such a crime, be assured that your next sip will include a vortex of leaves that insidiously make their way up the straw and into your mouth.

Temperature & Pouring for Bubbles

For temperature, I like to heat my water to around 160° Fahrenheit. Further, I will pour a small amount of lukewarm water over the dry leaves to soak them ahead of the hot water. A friend of mine recommended this to avoid scorching the leaves with hot water. Although I am in doubt as to the real danger of scorching, I nevertheless seem to enjoy the results of this method.

Once the water has been heated appropriately, you may begin the pouring. You are welcome to fill the cup to the brim, or simply pour a tablespoon or two. It matters little in comparison to the brewing time, which determines how bitter—and how caffeinated—the sip will be. If your water is the right temperature, you should notice miniature bubbles make their way to the surface.

Regarding bitterness, most Argentines will pour a liberal amount of sugar into the cup following the water. Those folks seem to like everything dulce (sweet). I, however, decided I didn’t want to be drinking sugar every morning. And so, after a surprisingly short time, I grew to love the bitter drink. The first few sips are the most punishing, in terms of both bitterness and polvo making its way up the straw. But be of good cheer, the journey indeed gets easier for those who persevere.

The Slurp

For those of you who have made it this far, congratulations. You have successfully reached the culmination of the ritual. Now you may avail yourself of the divine, bitter ecstasy of yerba mate. The experience reaches a crescendo with the unmistakable slurp that marks the emptying of water from the cup, signalling the occasion for a fresh pouring. This one sound telegraphs to the world the inner sense of satisfaction now unfolding in your taste buds. It is the quintessential Ahh of relief of the mate connoisseur. For the neophyte, it represents the beginning of a truly glorious venture.

The Sound of the Slurp

Video Guide by Jason Strout

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