MATE FACTOR- Tropical Lime Yerba Mate

If you have been following along with my blog, you may have learned that I am in a quest to try all the teas that there are out there.  I know that people say the only true teas are BLACK, GREEN, WHITE, and OOLONG- because these are made from the Camelis Samelia Bush. I have tried all of those.  Then there are other "teas" HERBAL, TISANE, ROOIBOS, PU-ERH, YELLOW,  POUCHONG, CHAI, MATCHA, SENCHA, KOMBUCHA, GENMAICHA, BLOOMING, HONEYBUSH, and MATE.  I have tried most of these "teas", but not all.  Today I am trying a real Yerba Mate.  I also have a Yellow, a Matcha, and a Genmaicha that I look forward to trying and blogging about soon....

 

http://www.vitaglo.com/

 

 Mate Factor - Hibiscus Lime Tea 20 bg  $4.06

 

 

The infusion, called mate in Spanish-speaking countries in south Brazil, is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of the mate plant in hot water, rather than in boiling water. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd with a metal straw (a bombilla in Spanish) is a common social practice in Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil among people of all ages; the beverage is most popular in Uruguay, where people are seen walking on the street carrying the "mate" and "termo" in their arms and where you can find hot water stations to refill the "termo" while on the road, Paraguay, Peru and Chile, eastern Bolivia and other states of Brazil, and has been cultivated in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In Argentina, 11 pounds of yerba mate is consumed each year per every man, woman, and child. While Uruguay is the largest consumer of mate per capita, drinking 22 pounds per person per year. The flavor of brewed mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea. Some consider the flavor to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water. Flavored mate is also sold, in which the mate leaves are blended with another herb (such as peppermint) or citrus rind.

 

Yerba mate is very versatile and can be prepared a variety of ways, from a tea infuser or French press to a coffee machine, even an espresso maker.  It can be consumed hot, or cold, and served with  milk and honey or iced with lemon and mint, the combinations are endless.

Wisdom Of The
Ancients -
Bombilla
Strainer Straw $5.84

 If I am going to try this South American tea, I need the South American straw too!

 

Why do people drink Yerba Mate Tea? For the increase in energy they experience without the side-effects they may experience when drinking coffee. Many have also shared that yerba mate acts as an appetite suppressant, clears the mind, relieves allergies, improves sleep patterns and lifts their mood in general. Join the Mate Revolution...

 

 So in effort to drink Mate like the South Americans, I emptied out the Yerba Mate tea bag into the cup.  I added water and drank through the metal straw. 

I like the tea, and I like drinking with the straw. The straw really does sift and keep out the leaves.  It does make a mess in the cup and is frustrating to clean :)  But, the taste is very good.  Next time I may use the tea bag but still drink out of the straw :)