By Alexandra Foster for Food Network Kitchen

Alexandra Foster is a Culinary Editorial Fellow at Food Network.

Yerba mate is a caffeinated beverage and has gained popularity in many parts of the U.S. in recent years, but the cans you’ll find at corner stores and grocers don’t tell the full picture. The world of yerba mate is rich in cultural traditions and South American heritage, where it’s one of the most social drinks you can try. So, what is yerba mate — and how does it differ from coffee or other teas like matcha?

What Is Yerba Mate? 

Yerba mate is a caffeinated herbal tea with rich cultural traditions in Latin and South America.

Especially popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil, the drink is made by steeping the leaves and stems of the yerba mate plant (Ilex paraguariensis), which is part of the Aquifoliaceae family. The leaves are traditionally steeped in a gourd, also known as a mate or calabash, and sipped through a metal straw with a filter at the end, called a bombilla, which strains out the leaves and stems. Yerba mate is the gift that keeps on giving as many cups can be enjoyed from the same brew.

Before you take your first sip, yerba mate has gone through an extensive process. First, the leaves are harvested by yerbateros (cultivators), then roasted, dried and sometimes smoked. Next, they are matured to develop flavor, a process that can range from one to 24 months. Once mature, the leaves and twigs are then sieved to get the perfect ratio. Each component of the tea serves a purpose: the leaves contain the compound while the twigs help filter out dust from going up the bombilla. Finally, the yerba mate is packaged. In this stage, fruit essences may be added as well for additional flavor.

Juan Carrasco, co-owner of Mate Conmigo, a yerba mate café in Northridge, California says that, to serve yerba mate the traditional way, you add leaves to the mate gourd, put your bombilla in, pour a little bit of cold water on top first so the leaves are saturated and then add hot water. “You keep on putting the hot water and keep on drinking it. You kind of work your way up in layers from the bottom to the top. Once you get to the top and it doesn’t taste like anything, you’re just tasting water, you dump that yerba out and start the ritual all over again,” Carrasco says.

He suggests those new to drinking yerba mate try a method called la montana, where you fill your gourd and then shake it so the leaves are at an angle, leaving a little space for the bombilla to go in. “It allows you to drink your mate at a nice pace and not use a lot of yerba,” he states.

Many of the terms used to describe the ingredients and process of making yerba mate are interchangeable Carrasco explains, “The gourd, you can call it mate by itself. The yerba I would call just the herbs, the loose leaf. And then drinking the mate together, you can just say mate.” In fact, the words yerba mate come from two different languages, Spanish and Ketchua, meaning “herbs from the calabash.”

Mate can also be served cold. It’s known as tereré and is the national drink of Paraguay, where it’s brewed with cold water, herbs and fruit.

Yerba Mate History and Culture  

Yerba mate was originally discovered by the Guarani people, an indigenous community from the forests of Paraguay. They believed it was a “gift from the gods” to promote vitality, physical stamina, help sustain life and heal the sick. It grew to be a dietary staple for warriors and nomadic peoples and was also used spiritually in tribal ceremonies and rituals among the Inca and Charrua people.

After Spaniards colonized what we now call South America, yerba mate began to become increasingly popular and commercialized. In the 1600s, Jesuits started cultivating mate on plantations themselves after figuring out the seed was germinated by passing through birds’ digestive tracks. In 1737, the Jesuits were sent away and thus yerba mate was harvested in forests instead of plantations. During this time, it became popular among Argentinian gauchos (nomadic cowboys) who sipped on yerba mate around a campfire after long harvest days or cattle drives. They would drink the mate and then pass it on, thus initiating the sharing tradition that still occurs today.

Carrasco and his family are from Cordoba, Argentina, and he grew up with this practice. “One person called a cebador will be designated to keep the rotation going. They will serve the mate, pour a little water, put the filter in, and drink it all the way down. Then they'll serve it [and] pass it to the person on the right. The person will drink it and they'll pass it back to the cebador. The cebador will then pour hot water again and pass to the next person in the rotation.” Sharing mate is recognized as a sign of friendship and bonding. This ritual is what makes drinking mate so sacred, and mate vessels become heirlooms passed down for generations.

“If you go to Argentina and Uruguay, even Paraguay too, you see everyone drinking mates in parks, porches, everywhere,” Carrasco says. He even recalls sharing mate with his professors during lectures when he was in college. “I always made the joke if you can make a good mate, the teacher will be a little more favorable,” he says.

Yerba mate is typically enjoyed in the afternoon or during merienda, a snack time between lunch and dinner that’s typically around 6-7pm. (Argentinians eat dinner late.) Carrasco also notes that when drinking mate with friends and family, you typically have two gourds: a sweet one and a bitter one to accommodate different palates and preferences.

“The thing about mate is it makes you settle down. Preparing the mate is such a ritual, you take your time, just stop and relax a bit. It’s more about being in the moment with others, finding an excuse to get away from what you’re doing, just hang out and talk,” Carrasco says.

What Does Yerba Mate Taste Like?

While the flavor can vary based on the type of yerba, brewing practices and brand, overall, yerba mate has an earthy, bittersweet taste. If you like matcha, you’re probably going to like yerba mate. Carrasco jokes, “It’s matcha's South American cousin because it's kind of got that green tea taste, but it's its own thing.” Each variation has different notes, like coffee, so you can find a flavor profile that suits you best. If you are offput by the bitterness, “don’t get discouraged because once you add a little sugar, it’ll really balance it out,” Carrasco says.

Yerba Mate Caffeine Content

One cup of yerba mate has 80 milligrams of caffeine, which is on par with coffee. However, the typical method of consuming mate and repeatedly pouring more water in for extra cups can lead to about 260 milligrams in one serving.

The caffeine is a little bit different in mate, too. It is the compound mateine that results in the effects. Mateine is a combination of caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These are the three stimulants found in coffee, tea and chocolate. Mate gives you the trifecta in one sip – increased energy, relaxing and soothing antioxidants and that feel-good factor. Mate is also absorbed by the body at a much slower rate, giving drinkers a long-lasting energy boost.

Yerba Mate vs Coffee

If you’re wondering if you should make the switch to mate from your morning cup of joe, the debate gets even more interesting. Many people report feeling jittery and burnt out after drinking coffee or experience a slump when its effects wear off. Mate advocates say it doesn’t have that effect, and instead say that the stimulating and soothing compounds last even after multiple cups. This is due in part to mate’s adaptogenic properties and relaxing elements.

“Coffee tends to get you pretty caffeinated quickly and then you kind of feel sluggish after. Mate you tend to not have that sluggish feeling. It is also a lot more social in my opinion having that sharing capability. I find that it can revitalize that social aspect of drinking something warm, or cold, together,” Carrasco says.

He also thinks mate is easier to prepare. “For a good espresso, you need a machine. You need some type of tech that you know can give you that certain taste. In mate, all you really need is a bombilla because you can use a mug if you want to. You can even if you want to haul out a fruit, like an orange, and then you just need hot water and yerba.”

How to Make Yerba Mate at Home

If you’re inspired to make yerba mate at home, follow these recommendations. “When you start drinking, choosing the mate is going to be a little bit daunting because of how many there are. But I recommend Playadito, Cruz de Malta, Amanda and Rosamonte (the strongest),” Carrasco says.

To store your mate properly, keep it in the bag it comes in or in a bag with a spout called a yerbero. Store it in a cool dark place, and it will last for about one to two years.

If you want to get the traditional experience of drinking it out of a gourd, you can find them at South American markets or online. Carrasco recommends buying a glass, steel, metal or silicone vessel rather than the traditional hollowed out gourd, which requires more upkeep.

“As a beginner, curing it and taking care of it every day can be a daunting task. You have to keep on drinking [out of] them and cleaning them. Because there are natural elements, they could crack or mold. We don’t want someone to commit so much to something they might not like. It is an acquired taste.”

The water should not be boiling, either. It should be around 175 to 180 degrees F, otherwise it can burn the leaves and ruin the taste. Traditionally, yerba mate is enjoyed plain, but you can sweeten it with honey, agave or sugar to help cut the acidity. At yerba mate cafes like Mate Conmigo, you will also likely find the Americanized mate latte –made with vanilla syrup, milk and hot mate.

Mate can also be made in a French press as well, and you could use this method to make tereré too. There’s also a pre-packaged mate that comes in tea bags called mate cocido. No matter how you approach your first brew, take Carrasco’s advice: slow down and savor your mate.

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