Yerba Mate

Other than a brief metion of Cuban Yerba Mate soda, I didn't find any threads about Yerba Mate.

I just sampled my first Yerba Mate this week and I like it a lot!

All I know is that it's a tea that is very popular in South American countries. It's not the same plant as black or green teas. There's a traditional drinking method that involves a specific type of vessel and straw but I just had it in tea bag form.

It kind of tastes like green tea...grassy, herbal, slightly bitter.

What I like about it is its kick! It's less jittery than coffee.

Does anyone else have any experience with this tea?

Wow, after doing a search, I can't believe I never posted on Yerba Mate. Must have been during one of my dark periods.

You can find all sorts of stuff on the internet about Yerba-mate, but you should also look under just mate. See the derivations at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate

Yerba mate is touted all over the internet and is a frequent ingredient of diet pills and energy boosters. The first time I tried mate, I had the same reaction....good rush of alertness, less jittery than coffee.

Yerba mate is sold in many coffee shops in Chicago, I know they have it at Kopi in Andersonville.

You can purchase both mate and the gourds from which it is traditionally consumed and the bombilla (special strainer sipping spoons) at the little Argentine grocery next to Tango Sur (Grace and Southport).

Post about grocery here:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5508&highlight=mercado

Different parts of South America drink mate in differing ways....they sometimes get fiesty about it. Try not to lump them all together if you want to remain friendly.

BTW, the Yerba Mate soda is also available at:

Place: Col-ubas Steakhouse
5665 North Clark Street
(773) 506-1579


TTT meeting there on February 16: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7082

Materva:

http://www.cawy.net/materva.htm

Diet Materva is my own personal New Years's resolution. Like Dr. Pepper, the medicinal flavor really masks (compliments?) the flavor of artificial sweetners.

In the 'burbs, you can get Cruz de Malta brand Yerba Mate at Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie.

There is also a brand called Guayaki that is sold at Whole Foods and Wild Oat's at about three times the price as Cruz de Malta. Cruz de Malta is ubiquitous in Buenos Aires.

Best bet might be to go online. Friends from South America while I was in school bought in bulk offline and managed to get entire floors in their dorm addicted to the stuff. You definitely look either very cool or dangerous walking around with a mate cup/mug/thing.

Yerba Mate is sold at La Unicaon Devon. You can even get a cold one at the food counter in back. Sorry, I don't know the brand, but it had a pale yellowish label.