FLAVORFUL RECIPES FOR YERBA MATE PREPARATION

Yerba mate is a popular drink, but its slightly bitter taste can be unpleasant to some who are new to the beverage. Traditionally the tea is made in a cured gourd, served plain and sipped through a filtered straw known as a bombilla. For those who find it too strong or do not appreciate the taste of it plain, it can be made the same way as many other teas. The addition of items like honey and lemon are fast ways to change the flavor, as in some Yerba Mate recipes listed below. There are many different ways for Yerba mate preparation.

Once people discover how to adjust the tea to their personal taste, it will make learning how to drink Yerba mate much more enjoyable. Individuals who are not happy with the traditional Yerba mate preparation may enjoy one of the many other methods of drinking this beverage. Because it is so full of vitamins and minerals, it is sensible to sample a few alternative recipes to find one that will make drinking it more enticing. Here are a few recipes to test.

Of course, every yerba mate recipe can be tweaked in numerous ways to make it more pleasing to the drinker. And one more thing. We suggest that you try air-dried organic Yerba mate brands. Natural ones taste much better and are healthier.

Click here if you are interested in how to make Yerba mate traditionally.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brew 1tbsp of Loose-leaf Yerba mate in 3/4 cup of water.
2. Add 1/4 of warmed milk and 1 tbsp of sugar, honey or maple syrup.
3. Top with milk foam. Make the foam by placing a small amount of milk in a jar, tighten the lid and shake vigorously. Remove the lid and warm it in the microwave for several seconds.

Click here to find more Yerba mate latte recipes.

Terere (Tereré)

“Terere” is a common drink in many South American countries. People drink it several times a day. It is a cold, refreshing and typically sweetened Yerba mate infusion. It has a long history with Guarani; the native South American tribe. In its origin, it is a social practice where families gathered and share Terere: sipping it from the same “Guampa.” Guampas are usually made out of cattle horns and are a traditional cups to drink Terere.

To prepare it, you will need a guampa and a bombilla. Instead of guampa, you can use Yerba mate gourd, or you can get away with a regular tea cup. Bombilla is straw with a filter which is a must when it comes to drinking Yerba mate infusion. It extracts Yerba mate tea from Yerba mate leaves. To get yourself a Yerba mate cup and a bombilla check our online store. Terere is a healthy and energizing beverage perfect on a hot day.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill up the mate cup with loose-leaf Yerba mate to approximately half. Optionally, you can fill up the half of a cup first with hot water, so you get extracted more of nutrients and stimulants from Yerba mate.
2. Pour freshly squeezed lime, lemon or orange juice.
3. Add cold water and ice cubes to mate cup.
4. Optionally, you can add sweetener, fruits or herbs by your choice.
5. Wait for a few minutes, so that Yerba mate gets extracted and infusion gets cold.
6. Enjoy your Terere!

Add Loose-leaf Yerba mate into a tea infuser and put it into a large pitcher or a tea mug. Fill it with ice and water. Add the desired amount of sweetener (maple or agave syrup are popular options). Add the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon or lime. Wait at least 5 min for Yerba mate to be extracted. Pour yourself a glass and enjoy this energizing and refreshing beverage.

NOTE:

With cold water method, which is the original way to prepare Terere, you will extract more polyphenols and fewer stimulants. Because cold water does not extract as many of the nutrients and stimulants as using hot water methods, you can use hot water to prepare it. Cool it down with ice or by putting it into a fridge.

On our website, you can find a full article about Terere.

Yerba Mate in a Tea Mug

Yerba Mate Iced Tea

Yerba mate iced tea is another way to make this fabulous tea cold and refreshing. The difference between Terere and iced tea is that we need hot water to prepare it. Hot water, rather than cold helps to strengthen the flavor and keeps the tea from becoming too weak flavored when the ice is added.

PREP TIME: 15 min

SERVINGS: 4 person

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tbsp Loose-leaf Yerba mate
• 4 cups Water (hot, but not boiling)
• 4 tbsp Sweetener (sugar, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup)
• 1 Lemon or Lime – optional
• Mint leaves – optional
• Ice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add 4 tbsp of Loose-leaf Yerba mate into a tea strainer or a Frech Press along with 4 cups hot, but not boiling, water.
2. After allowing the mixture to sit for approximately 10 minutes, pour into a glass pitcher and let it cool completely. You can cool it down with ice or by putting it into a fridge.
3. Add honey, or any other sweetener preferred and stir thoroughly.
4. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the Yerba mate mixture over the top.
5. Optionally, garnish with mint leaves or crush them and add a couple directly to the drink for more flavor. Also, you can add freshly squeezed juice of one lemon, lime or orange

Fruit and Yogurt Yerba Mate Smoothie (addition to Yerba mate iced tea recipe)

At this point, methods for Yerba mate preparation are just getting more enjoyable. That is an excellent and super healthy upgrade to Yerba mate iced tea. Why not adding some fruits and yogurt and make a smoothie. You will make yourself a perfect beverage to jump start your day.

PREP TIME: 20 min

SERVINGS: 4 person

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups Yerba mate iced tea
• 2 Bananas
• 1 cup Strawberries
• 2 cups Yogurt (any flavor)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare one serving of Yerba mate just as described above and allow the beverage to cool.
2. In a blender add two bananas, a cup of chopped strawberries and two cups of yogurt (any flavor) and enough ice to make the mixture frothy. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the Yerba mate and blend for one or two seconds to mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into a tall glasses and serve.

One other Way to Prepare Yerba Mate Iced Tea…

Yerba Mate Espresso

Place two tablespoons of yerba mate into a small cup or dish. Add enough cool water to the cup to make a paste with the yerba mate. Add the yerba mate paste into the porto filter of the espresso machine, packing lightly.

French Press Preparation

Use one tablespoon of the yerba mate for every cup of water to be added. Wet the leaves with a little cold water. Add hot water, never boiling. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes and then press.

Yerba Mate preparation in Tea Infuser

Yerba Mate Cocido

Place one or two tea bags of yerba mate into a pot. Add two cups of hot water and allow it to sit for several minutes. Strain the yerba mate and drink it as you would traditional tea by adding sugar or honey or by adding flavorings like peppermint.

Yerba Mate Sun Tea

Add one yerba mate tea bag for every cup of water into a glass jar. Cover the jar and leave in the sun for at least several hours. Allow the tea to cool in the fridge. Serve over ice, either plain or sweetened with lemon and sugar.

Maple syrup is a great alternative to sugar or honey. Add it, try it and “Canadian” Yerba mate brew might be your preferred one.

Cooking With Yerba Mate

The popularity of yerba mate continues to grow around the world, and as it does many talented chefs and bakers are creating recipes that utilize this unique ingredient.

• Yerba mate can be added to the batter to make a fish tempura.
• Sweetened yerba mate makes a delicious ingredient in muffin mixes and it tastes great when paired with orange or other citrus flavored muffins.
• With just yerba mate, milk, and sugar, butter and glucose, it is possible to make a sweet and rich toffee.

Moisty Yerba Mate Muffins

Nothing better than start a day with freshly brewed Yerba Mate and delicious whole-grain muffin with all natural ingredients and infused with Yerba Mate. This recipe is moist with a banana twist and completely vegan. Instead of bananas, you can also use eggs.

Start your day with one of these muffins, and you’ll totally forget about the cup of coffee you used to love.

It is so versatile that it can be strengthened, made more subtle or the flavor changed entirely with the right combination of additional flavorings. Everyone should experiment with these recipes as well as any ideas of their own to find the drink that suits them the best. Once people learn how to make yerba mate in the traditional manner as well as a few alternative methods, there will be no end to the variations they can create.

== Read Users Guide for How to Buy Yerba Mate and Supplies ==