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Yerba Mate – Argentina
We tasted more yerba mates than we care to remember, and this is the one that stood out. It was the recurring favorite, and is still the best tasting yerba mate that we have come across. We are extremely pleased to be able to offer it to you.
Our unsmoked, pure leaf Yerba Mate comes from a small organic family farm in northeastern Argentina, where it is dried with a unique smoke-free drying process to achieve a smooth, clean flavor. After drying, our yerba mate is aged for a minimum of nine months to allow the flavor and naturally-occurring acids in the leaves to mellow. Finally, our yerba mate is sifted during milling to remove stems and powder, creating a pure leaf yerba mate of exceptional quality.
Our Yerba Mate comes from the subtropical province of Misiones in northeastern Argentina. Misiones is about the size of the state of Massachusetts. Although it comprises only 1% of Argentina's landmass, it produces 70% of Argentina's timber, and it is home to 40% of Argentina's biodiversity. Misiones also contains the largest surviving remnant of the Interior Atlantic forest, which once stretched from southern Brazil to Paraguay.
To brew:
You can use tea bags, a tea ball, a strainer, a French press, or an auto-drip coffee maker.
Use 4-7 g (.14-.25 oz) of leaf per cup to taste.
79C (175F) water .
4-5 min. (we normally prefer a medium dose at 4 min.)
Can be extracted multiple times throughout the day. The flavor changes with each extraction, and we feel that the third extraction is the sweetest, mellowest cup.
Most of all, this is a drink that is intended to be shared with friends. Enjoy!
Additional Information
The first people to discover yerba mate were the Guarani (pronounced wa-ra-nee). Their traditional homeland in Paraguay, northern Argentina, and southern Brazil overlaps the home range of wild yerba mate. The Guarani enjoy yerba mate as a daily tonic, and also as the basis of their medicinal system. They have a legend telling how yerba mate was the gift of a benevolent god, who gave the tree to a small group of weary travelers as a reward for their righteousness.
Yerba Mate is a major component of the endangered Matto Grosso, or Interior Atlantic Forest type. The Matto Grosso is home to the toucan, the jaguar, and the coati, among a thousand lesser-known but no less wonderful endemic creatures. Sustainable yerba mate cultivation represents the last best chance to preserve this unique biological treasure trove.
