Yerba Mate: A Life Changing Cup

by

It was closing night in Madrid. My series of plays on themes of authenticity had just completed its first production at El Pasillo Verde Teatro. Audiences danced. El Mundo raved. The theater asked us for more. The Argentine actor who performed the plays, Valentina Corbella, invited Susan and me to her apartment to celebrate our triumph with her and her family. One of Valentina’s cousins served platters of their family’s empanadas, the best I’ve ever tasted. I poured glasses of delicious Spanish wine. But neither the empanadas nor the wine were the highlights of the evening. 

Our conversations that evening revolved around Argentina—its culture, its customs, its food and drink, its national fútbol team, the Albiceleste. All of which made me think of yerba mate, a national beverage of Argentina. Yerba mate is a plant species of the holly genus Ilex, which is native to South America. (Mate is pronounced as a two-syllable word, with its accent on the first syllable.) When the leaves of the yerba mate plant are steeped in hot water, they render the beverage called mate. A beverage I hadn’t tasted yet. 

Valentina’s cousin graciously made me a cup, and she showed me how natives of Argentina ritually consume their mate. It’s been nine weeks since closing night in Madrid. Ever since that night, I drink mate every morning.

I love how mate smells and tastes. Its earth and moss. Its peat and petrichor. Its citrus, herb and honey. I love how mate feels relative to coffee. Less like the energy of an electrical charge. More like the energy of an ocean wave. I love the feel of its gourds, the cups made for serving mate. I love the look of its bombillas, the metal straws made for drinking mate. And I wonder why isn’t mate popular in North America?

I asked for insight from an expert in the field, Victor Jara, the head buyer for Rishi Tea.

Why Yerba Mate?

Gaetano Marangelli: How do you describe yerba mate to somebody who doesn’t know what it is?

Victor Jara: Yerba mate is a traditional herbal tea that originates in South America. Yerba mate is one of three holly species native to the Americas that contain caffeine and is widely consumed for its energizing and invigorating properties.

While some may find the flavor to be bitter, proper preparation can yield a bittersweet flavor with earthy and mineral flavors. Yerba mate is traditionally consumed by drinking through a gourd and straw (bombilla), but can also be prepared in standard methods, such as steeping with a tea bag or as a loose-leaf preparation.

GM: Why do you think drinking yerba mate isn’t more popular in the United States?

VG: I believe that yerba mate is an acquired taste. Its bitter taste is not as common as the sweet and fruity flavors that are popular in the American market.

GM: What distinguishes Rishi Yerba Mate from other yerba mate?

VJ: Our organic yerba mate is selected for its smooth and mellow flavor. Mate’s flavor is determined by its age and processing that can range from fresh “green” mate to aged and roasted or smoked yerba mate. We search for mate that is never smoked, with some light to moderate aging to provide the best experience to both the new and veteran mate drinker.

GM: How and where do you source Rishi Yerba Mate?

VG: Rishi sources its yerba mate directly from trusted sources in South America. At the moment we are sourcing from Northern Argentina and Southern Brazil.

GM: Why does the Rishi web site distinguish the preparation of its yerba mate from a traditional preparation?

VG: Rishi provides preparations for both traditional mate and those that are in line with standard preparation of herbal teas. While the standard preparation is often the most convenient for consumers, we always honor tradition and provide guidance for the stronger traditional preparation.

GM: How important is the Argentine custom of consuming yerba mate to the flavor of the tea?

VG: Preparing and drinking yerba mate with a gourd and a straw provides a different experience. The preparation is much stronger and lends itself to a communal experience as this method is ideal to be shared with a close group of friends. When drinking from a gourd, the brew starts strong and with intense flavor but eventually mellows out to an enjoyable brew with subsequent refills of the gourd with fresh hot water. I myself have spent many mornings and afternoons sipping from a bombilla while traveling through Argentina and wouldn’t have it any other way.