Yerba Maté

Last Updated: Aug. 1, 2010

Yerba maté, sometimes called Paraguay tea, is an herb that has stimulant properties. Yerba Maté is made from a species of holly, Ilex paraguariensis, and is one of several species of holly that naturally contain caffeine. In addition to caffeine, yerba maté contains other chemicals that make its effects somewhat different from those of tea or coffee. Because Yerba maté is prepared similarly to tea, the drink made from it is often referred to as mate tea or yerba mate tea.

Yerba maté is available in different forms based on its processing, sometimes called green (unsmoked, unroasted) varieties and roasted/smoked varieties. Also, different parts of the plant are used to make beverages with different qualities of aroma and flavor.

Traditional Preparation & Consumption:

Traditionally, yerba maté is served in a dried and hollowed gourd, with the loose leaf kept in the hot water. Sometimes the gourd would be protected with leather. Vessels in the shape of a gourd are also made out of various materials, including wood or metal (even silver). The gourd is then passed around and shared among a group of people. The drink is sucked through a straw, which has a built-in strainer at the base. These straws are often ornate and made of silver.

Health Effects:

Yerba Maté has not been as widely studied as tea, and there have been mixed results as to its health effects. It has been found to have significant antioxidant content which is likely preserved when it is consumed as tea.[1] However, consumption of large amounts over a long period of time was pointed to as a likely cause of liver damage.[2] The findings on its effects on cancer are mixed; one analysis of several studies concluded that drinking hot maté is probably carcinogenic to humans, but that the effect was only caused by the fact that it was a hot beverage, not by the maté itself.[3]

See also flavored yerba maté.

Listings of this style of tea: (20 including sub-styles - hide sub-styles)

Page 1 of 1 page with 20 results:

	Tea:	Brand:	Region:	# Ratings:
	Mate Roasted	Lupicia	?????	0
	Yerba Mate, Green	TeaSource	?????	0
	Yerba Mate, Roasted	TeaSource	?????	0
	Yerba Mate, Loose	Wegmans	?????	0
	Organic Yerba Mate	Admari Tea	?????	0
	Roasted Mate	Admari Tea	?????	0
	Traditional Yerba Mate Tea Bags	Guayaki	Blend	0
	Green Yerba Mate	Arbor Teas	Blend	0
	Yerba Mate	Arbor Teas	Blend	0
	BH20: Green Yerba Maté	Upton Tea Imports	Brazil	1
	BH22: Roasted Yerba Maté	Upton Tea Imports	Brazil	1
	San Mateo Air Dried Loose Yerba Mate	Guayaki	Brazil	0
	Organic Yerba Maté	Traditional Medicinals	Paraguay	0
	Traditional Flavor Wild Harvest Yerba Mate	Aviva Yerba Mate	Paraguay	0
	Bulk Wild Harvest Yerba Mate	Aviva Yerba Mate	Paraguay	0
	Argentine Mate Green	Lupicia	Argentina	0
	Argentine Organic Yerba Mate Pure Leaf Cut	Aviva Yerba Mate	Argentina	0
	Argentine Organic Yerba Mate Unsmoked Pure Leaf Cut	Aviva Yerba Mate	Argentina	0
	Argentine Organic Yerba Mate Unsmoked Whole Plant	Aviva Yerba Mate	Argentina	0
	Yerba Maté Shade Grown	Rishi Tea	Argentina	1

© View Copyright Notice | Privacy | Terms of Use