It is quite possible that it is not beer that destroys people, but it is certainly true that tea can save people. Especially if we are not talking about a surrogate or an instant tea drink from a sealed bag, but about a natural, living product, saturated with a lot of useful natural ingredients. And although most of us are accustomed to considering tea to be a very prosaic drink, intended for daily use and even only as an addition to food, this situation has developed mainly because we drink uninteresting tea. Banal. The maximum tea variety familiar to our compatriots is black tea, green and green with jasmine, hibiscus and, perhaps, several more refined mixtures including herbs and spices. Whereas real exotic tea is known and therefore accessible only to a few: those who are interested in the features and varieties of natural herbal drinks. Why don’t you join them, discovering many exciting, tasty and, most importantly, healthy nuances?
For example, few people know how to brew and use mate correctly. And all because it is not offered to consumers everywhere either in stores or even in cafes. One can debate for a long time why this happens, because this drink is in no way inferior to many others that enjoy deserved (and sometimes undeserved) popularity among the general public. But it is better to leave idle speculation and devote time and attention to studying the features, properties and other interesting details regarding mate. Its name is often associated with tea, although this is not entirely true. Mate can be compared to tea both in origin (plant raw materials) and in properties (toning, strengthening, vitaminizing). But in fact, there is no connection between the tea bush and the holly plant, from the leaves of which the raw materials for brewing mate are prepared. Already interested? You see! But this is not even the beginning, but only a hint of the long, complex and very fascinating history of mate, which began long before Europeans first heard about this drink. Therefore, every person who considers himself inquisitive and not indifferent to his diet should learn at least a little about the rules for brewing and using mate, as well as about its origin and properties.
Mate: composition, properties, benefits and harm
So what is the mysterious mate, if not tea? From a botanical point of view, these are nothing more than the leaves of a plant called Paraguayan holly, which grows in large quantities in Argentina. It was in this country that they began to collect, dry and process holly leaves in a certain way in order to brew from them a tart, aromatic and rather specific-tasting drink, called mate today (and if absolutely correct, then with the emphasis on the first syllable, and not so, as is usual for our ears). For Argentines, mate has become as important a part of the national culture as viburnum is for Ukrainians, and birch is for Russians. Over time, neighboring countries in South America adopted this tradition and spread it throughout their territories. Even today, somewhere on the streets of Brazil you can meet a venerable old man leisurely sipping mate as he walks. Europeans learned about mate only after the era of the conquistadors. Moreover, the attitude towards it was immediately divided into two irreconcilable branches: sailors and colonists became deeply addicted to it, and Jesuit priests strictly prohibited the devilish drink, associating it with the pagan rites of the Indians.
There really is something demonic in the mat, but these properties are easily explained by its rich chemical composition. First of all, freshly brewed mate contains a high concentration of caffeine, but, interestingly, it is practically non-addictive even with regular use. In general, in terms of the set and quantity of vitamins and microelements, mate can be put on the same level as high-quality tea: it contains B vitamins, vitamin A, C, P, E, potassium, iron, sodium, manganese, chlorine, sulfur - a total of about 196 biologically active components. Several alkaloids give mate a sweetish taste, the concentration of which increases in direct proportion to the strength of the brew. Chemical analysis also detects in the mat organic acids(including nicotine, stearic and ursol), vanillin, rutin, moderate amounts of protein and resins. All these components significantly affect both the physical and psycho-emotional state of a person who regularly uses mate. And this influence should be treated with great attention.
The fact is that the effect of mate on the body is not clear. On the one hand, it gently relieves stress, improves mood and overall body tone, reduces symptoms of insomnia, depression, anxiety and emotional imbalance. It is recommended as a tonic, strengthening, and immunostimulating agent of natural origin. It is no coincidence that mate leaves are the basis for the production of several energy drinks in different parts of the world, and lovers of this Paraguayan tea notice that after a cup of mate it is easier for them to concentrate on work, forget about drowsiness and apathy. But at the same time there is no good without reverse side. And mate, although officially not included in the list of carcinogenic substances, when hot, this drink has been recognized by some studies as potentially hazardous to health. In particular, the use of mate has recently been associated with the development of cancer tumors not only of the digestive organs, but also of other organs. First of all, this is caused by the biochemical activity of its components. The second is the high temperature at which it is customary to drink freshly brewed mate. Daily consumption of hot mate can have a bad effect on the condition of the esophagus, bladder and even lungs (regardless of whether you smoke or not) and provoke cancer.
However, mate does not lose its popularity either in Latin America or abroad. Moreover, it is becoming more and more in demand due to its exotic origin and unusual taste. The legendary revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara involuntarily played his role in the development of the popularity of mate. Among the many photographs in which he is depicted, a large number of preserved his image precisely with the mate vessel, of which Che was a great admirer. Today Europe drinks mate more as a tribute to fashion and a little bit as a follow to the trend of organic nutrition. It can be found in specialized tea and coffee shops and on the menus of themed food establishments. As a rule, they are called mateyni. So, if you are looking for a place where you can try real mate, prepared and served according to all the canons, for the first time, feel free to go to just such a teahouse. For the first acquaintance this is the best option. And, if you like mate and want to introduce it into your regular diet, treat your family and friends to it, you can master the technology of brewing this drink at home. Practical recommendations How to do this, we have already prepared for you.
Rules for brewing mate
Someone who tries mate for the first time may be in for a surprise: this drink can hardly be called pleasant to the taste in the generally accepted sense of the word. In appearance it can even be confused with green tea(light golden-yellowish infusion), but the taste - no way. When brewed weakly, it resembles a tart herbal tea, but when brewed properly, it combines bitterness and sweetness, leaving a long, tart aftertaste in the mouth. This mate has an intense effect on the taste buds and even dulls the appetite, which is why people who want to lose weight often drink it. However, only a drink prepared according to all traditional rules can convey to you those sensations for which it is so loved both at home and around the world. Therefore, get ready to remember and master the following stages of brewing mate: 
However, many connoisseurs of mate still cannot drink it in its pure form, softening the taste of the drink with milk, honey or natural jam. You can use sugar, but it is better to choose more natural additives. Mate flavored with grapefruit juice acquires an interesting flavor. Well, the most colorful and luxurious version of the mixture is mate with rum. Even a small amount of this strong alcohol added to calabash will make you feel like a real participant in the Latin American revolution. Once you get used to the mate, you will begin to notice the nuances of taste and how they change from brew to brew, and also depend on the amount of dry leaves and the temperature of the water. And for a change, try brewing mate not with water, but with low-fat hot milk (or milk diluted with water). Such a drink will have a completely different taste and color, but will retain the herbal aroma and all its tonic properties.
Rules for using mate
Speaking about the rules for preparing a drink with such a history as mate, it is impossible not to mention the rituals of consumption associated with them. After all, it is they who largely (if not mainly) create the surroundings on which both the image and the attitude towards this cultural phenomenon are built. In relation to mate, such traditions have centuries-old roots and fairly strict rules, determined by both historical realities and the characteristics of the drink itself. For example, although mate is often drunk for personal pleasure, it is still considered a drink that brings people together. One of the most ancient, and therefore authentic, ways to drink mate is to drink it in a circle. When a group of friends or people with common interests, among them one person is appointed responsible for the common calabash, vigilantly monitoring its fullness and temperature of the mate. This person takes on a unique role as host and leader of the ceremony. He warms the water and brews the mate, he is the first to try the initial, most bitter brew, and then passes the calabash with bombilla around to everyone present.
For such a collective ceremony, as a rule, a bombilla is used with a mouthpiece coated with silver, which is known for its bactericidal properties. As for a personal calabash, intended exclusively for personal use, it is important to properly care for it to preserve it. After drinking is finished, thoroughly wash and dry the calabash. Store it in a dry place where it does not risk absorbing the flavors of the food. strong odor, pouring a little dry mate inside. A completely new calabash or one that you have not used for a long time needs to be prepared for work. To do this, fill it with dry mate tea and soak it in boiling water. Cover the top and leave for about a day. Then remove the contents and rinse the vessel thoroughly. After this treatment, it is again ready for brewing mate. And if all these procedures seem too complicated to you, and drinking mate doesn’t seem worth such a big hassle, just remember that, according to legend, mate was given to people by higher spirits for kindness, patience, nobility and purity of thoughts. It is these qualities that mate expects from everyone who touches the bombilla with their lips; it is for them that mate rewards with strength, vigor and health. Moreover, just touching a distant culture and learning about its subtleties is already a considerable pleasure, decorating everyday life and giving inspiration to perform small but important actions in life. Therefore, be attentive, patient and polite to each other, to yourself and to the elixir of vigor, whose second name is mate.
The drink contains an incredible amount of caffeine, which is made from crushed and dried shoots and leaves of the Paraguayan holly. Another name for this plant is “mate grass.” Hence the name of the tea itself. The holly itself is a 15-meter evergreen shrub. It grows mainly in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Paraguayan holly can grow both in the wild and on plantations, where it is grown by specially trained people.
A little history
“Mate,” as a word, has an incredible history behind its meaning. It comes from the Quechua language - this is an ancient tribe. It is translated as follows: “a gourd jug for drinks or food.” The modern territories of Paraguay and Brazil were formerly inhabited by Indians from the Guarani tribe. At one time they used mate to cure heartburn and other ailments. And as sugar they used stevia leaves, which have a sweet taste.
The benefits and harms of which are known to the modern consumer have another interesting story. So, even South Americans were aware of how healthy and tonic this drink is. They called this liquid a divine drink. The healing properties of mate were also appreciated by the Spanish conquerors. And all thanks to the fact that the remedy helped cure scurvy in a fairly short time. As a result, mate appeared in Europe.
But the Europeans themselves took tea rather coldly. The same cannot be said about holly leaves, which Aesculapians liked. They actively used them for cooking alcohol tinctures and various balms. Medieval doctors did not yet know what chemical composition bush, but they already appreciated its positive qualities.
Components of tea
Mate tea (benefits and harms are listed below) contains a large number of different elements necessary for the human body. Among them are xanthine alkaloids, tannins and biologically active substances, as well as beta-carotene. In addition, it contains substances of mineral origin (potassium, manganese, iron, copper, sodium, magnesium and sulfur) and vitamins B, P, C, E.
Benefits of the drink
Thanks to its composition, mate normalizes blood pressure, improves the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle, and stabilizes cerebral and coronary circulation. Mate tea, the benefits and harms of which are described in our article, as mentioned above, contains pantothenic acid. It is also responsible for normalizing adrenaline levels and is directly involved in the process of cell restoration. The drink also contains chlorophyll, which has a beneficial effect on the immune system, and choline, which is responsible for stabilizing cholesterol levels. Matein, which is also part of mate, is an unsurpassed and unique stimulant of natural origin. It is not inferior in strength to caffeine.
Mate tea (the benefits and harms of which are already known) is an indispensable product for stomach diseases. And this effect is explained as follows: the drink normalizes digestion and produces an antispasmodic effect, thereby restoring the damaged mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach. Mate is an indispensable product for strengthening the nervous system. It is an excellent helper in the fight against stress.
Possessing unsurpassed immunostimulating and tonic qualities, the drink lifts your mood, relieves the feeling of fatigue, and increases stamina. Mate is recommended for use by people who regularly engage in sports, as it prevents accumulation. If you often drink the above liquid, the craving for alcohol and smoking will decrease. And men value the drink because it increases potency.
Contraindications and side effects
Despite the fact that the mate drink is incredibly healthy, tea is harmful to human body has long been proven by scientists. But before we describe why the product is so dangerous, let’s look at those who are prohibited from using it. So, first of all, pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children, should not drink tea. If a person has a high temperature or blood pressure, he should also refuse such drinking.
Contraindications to the use of mate are urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and various kidney ailments. Well, it goes without saying that people prone to various allergic reactions should also give up such pleasure as erba mate tea.
Now let's move on to side effects drink It was found to contain high levels of carcinogens. They can cause cancer when there is thermal damage to the esophagus. Oncology can also occur in the lungs and bladder. Therefore, the harm of tea is undeniable, and people should not abuse this drink.
Cooking method
Mate is brewed in a special vessel called calabash. Not all users know about this, and therefore they often prepare it in an ordinary teapot. So, mate tea (we’ll tell you how to brew it correctly later) is poured into a calabash so that it fills 2/3 of its volume. Now you should shake the vessel several times and tilt it at an angle of 45 degrees. Thanks to this maneuver, space will be freed up in the container in which you need to install a bombilla - this is a special tube made of wood or metal on which the filter is located. Having placed the stick, we turn the calabash into a horizontal position.
Then you need to carefully, according to the line of the tube, pour cold water. Its quantity should also occupy 2/3 of the free space. For hot liquid, 1/3 will remain. It is recommended to fill the calabash with liquid to the very edges.
A few more recipes
Except classic way When preparing mate, you can brew it with milk. To do this, you need to boil one liter of milk with a fat content of 1.5%. Add four to five tablespoons of tea to it, remove the container from the heat, leave the drink for ten minutes, stir and drink. You can also brew dry leaves with juice. Orange nectar is added to the calabash instead of cold water. A small piece of sugar is also placed there.
How to drink mate tea correctly?
This drink is consumed from the same container in which it is brewed. They drink it very slowly, while trying to sip in small sips the grounds that remain at the bottom of the vessel. The mate is infused for 30 seconds to two minutes. You must try to consume the tea within this short time, otherwise it will acquire a bitter taste. All those who value the drink for its excellent medicinal properties know how to drink Paraguayan holly tea correctly.
The benefits, extraordinary properties and taste of mate tea are revealed in full force only when it is brewed in a calabash - a container made from a pumpkin.
The manufacturing process is very interesting - you need to clean the pumpkin from pulp, seeds and oil, dry it, encase the edges with metal, and decorate the outside as your imagination dictates, after which the vessel is rimmed with leather or silver.
From a wide assortment intended for the tea ceremony, you can choose a large pumpkin container for tea drinking with friends or with a narrow neck for individual drinking.
Before the first use, the calabash needs to be “revitalized”. Dry crushed leaves and young shoots of Paraguayan holly, called mate or yerba grass, are poured into a pumpkin vessel ½ or three-quarters full. Raw materials are poured hot water and leave for no more than a day, otherwise mold will appear and the vessel will have to be thrown away. Afterwards the infusion is poured out, and the calabash is ready for use. The preparatory procedure allows you to close and saturate the pores in the vessel with salts contained in the grass.
After drinking tea, the pumpkin bowl needs to be emptied and dried. If not used for a long time, you should pour a little dry tea leaves into the calabash.
Strictly following traditions, the correct way to drink mate is through a bombilla. This is a device in the form of a curved metal (wooden) tube, on one edge of which there is a mouthpiece, and on the other - a strainer that acts as a filter so that particles of tea leaves do not come across when drinking.
Classic mate preparation
Paraguayan holly leaves should be brewed following a certain technology.
- First, 1/3 of the grass is poured into the container, the container is covered with your hand and shaken.
- The container is tilted so that the leaves are against one wall. Then you need to pour a small amount of water into the calabash just to moisten the dry tea leaves.
- At this stage, insert the bombilla inside the already thick paste of swollen leaves, and fill the vessel completely with hot water, while it is important to close the upper hole of the drinking straw.
- The drink is infused for 1-2 minutes, the mate is ready to drink.
The herb can be re-brewed 6 to 9 times.
Note: optimal temperature for preparing mate the temperature is no more than 75-80 degrees. If you use boiling water, the drink will acquire a bitter taste and its benefits will be lost. Moreover, such hot liquid can cause harm to the body; drinking it is dangerous and unpleasant.
If you want to enjoy an unusual taste, drink the tea slowly, in small sips, savoring every note. Make sure that the bombilla tube is always in the thickest part, at the bottom of the vessel.
Don't worry if you don't have special equipment for brewing mate. After all, there are less exotic ways of preparing the drink, specially adapted for residents of European countries, using classic tea utensils.
The process of brewing in a French press is similar to making coffee, you just need to maintain the proportions - 50 ml of water, 50 g of dry leaves and leave for 1 minute. The drink is poured into cups through a strainer. Re-brewing is allowed up to 2-3 times.
Several gourmet recipes
The prepared tea must be drunk immediately, otherwise it will begin to taste bitter, and so will all subsequent brews.
Cold summer mate or Terere
As in classic recipe, mate grass is poured into the calabash, but filled with chilled water. To taste, you can add a few tablespoons of juice (lemon or orange) and ice cubes, and mint if desired.
You can get a relaxing effect from mate tea by adding a little lemon balm, dried chamomile, mint, valerian or linden flowers when brewing yerba, and for a tonic, pour ground coffee into the finished drink from Paraguayan holly. But such a tandem requires special care and extremely rare use.
Mate with milk or Cocido
The benefits of such a drink can be appreciated during winter cold– it warms and improves immunity. To prepare it, you need to boil 0.5 liters of milk and cool at room temperature up to 70-80 degrees, pour about 50 g of grass into it. Sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. The finished tea is poured into cups through a strainer.
If you want to try something completely exotic, you can brew yerba with citrus zest: lemon, orange, grapefruit or tangerine.
Drinking mate correctly is a real ritual for residents of South American countries, which they have been studying for many years and honing their skills. The main thing is not to rush, calm down, this is the only way to feel unusually strong.
Mate, sometimes called Brazilian or Paraguayan tea, is a very tea-like drink made from the dried leaves of the evergreen Paraguayan holly tree. Externally, mate resembles green tea, has a pronounced herbal aroma, and the taste of this drink is sweet and sour.
Traditionally, mate is brewed in a special vessel called a “calabash”, but not everyone has one in their home, so the following recipes on how to brew mate in a teapot, clay or glass, can always come in handy. So,
How to brew bitter mate (classic)
To prepare this drink you will need 10 grams of mate and 250 ml of water. Dry mate tea leaves are poured into a teapot, and then cold water is poured into it in such an amount that it just wets the tea leaves and is completely absorbed into it. After 2-3 minutes, after waiting for the mate to turn into a thick green slurry, the kettle is filled almost to the top with hot water. The water temperature should be 70-80°C.
People begin to drink bitter mate almost immediately after pouring hot water into it, since the infusion time of the drink ranges from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If you infuse mate longer or add hotter water to it, the drink begins to taste bitter. After the mate is drunk, the teapot is poured again. hot water. The number of permissible brews is 2-3.
How to cook boiled mate
To brew mate according to this recipe you will need 50 grams of tea leaves and a liter of water. Dry mate is poured into boiling water and boiled for no more than two minutes. After this, the drink is removed from the heat and poured into cups, adding sugar if desired.
How to brew sweet mate
To brew one cup of this mate you will need 1 teaspoon of dry mate, 170 ml of boiling water and a teaspoon of honey. Honey is placed at the bottom of the cup, mate is poured on top and boiling water is poured over it. Instead of honey, you can use granulated sugar.
How to brew cold mate
To prepare this drink you will need 50 grams of mate, a liter of water and ice and sugar to taste. Cold mate is prepared in the same way as bitter mate, but the drink is infused for an hour, after which sugar and ice are added to it.
How to brew fruit mate
To prepare such a drink, one liter of mate, prepared according to a “cold” recipe, is simply mixed with 100 milliliters lemon juice. Drink fruit mate in the heat.
If you brew mate correctly (especially bitter mate), then such a drink in a well-closed container does not lose its taste and beneficial properties for two to three days.
Like coffee in Europe and America, mate in South America it is more than just a drink, it is part of the national culture throughout much of the continent. In our country, many people consider mate to be “tea”, although it is not in any way. If tea is the leaves of the tea bush, then mate is the leaves and stems of the evergreen Paraguayan holly plant. This is a branched tree-like shrub with smooth whitish bark, which in the wild often grows up to 15 meters in height. This plant is common in the rural areas of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Yerba mate is the name of a drink made by brewing the crushed and dried leaves of the shrub. By the way, in South America, the birthplace of the drink, the word mate is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable.
In order to obtain “Paraguayan tea” from Paraguayan holly, young shoots of the plant are collected, cutting off the stems along with the leaves. After collection, the branches are thoroughly dried at high temperature. The dried product is crushed and thoroughly ground to obtain a dry powder.
According to some scientists, mate may well lay claim to the title of the oldest drink on our planet. There is evidence that the Indians used mate as early as the 7th millennium BC. Besides taste and healing properties(more on them a little later), the Indians highly revered mate for its – neither more nor less – divine origin. According to legend, the light-skinned and blue-eyed god (interestingly, many peoples of Latin America had light-skinned deities and generally looked very much like Europeans - for example, for the Aztecs, belief in such a god Quetzalcoatl was very expensive at one time) the god Paya Sharume with his retinue traveled and stopped at overnight in a lost forest hut. The owners, a very old man and his beautiful daughter, gave them all their meager supplies. For this, Paya Sharume thanked the old man “divinely”: having learned that he was hiding his daughter from people, he promised to turn her into a plant endowed with magical properties that the whole world would love.
When Europeans arrived on the continent, a new stage in the history of mate began. First of all, the Jesuits branded mate as sinful and devilish and banned its use - however, they did this with almost everything they encountered in the countries where they arrived. By the way, “yerboy”, which in Spanish simply means “grass”, was called mate by the Spanish Jesuits. So, while the clergy were doing their favorite thing - eradicating heresy, other Spaniards, less bothered by dogma and prejudices, tried an amazing drink that gave the Indians strength and saved them from scurvy, which was decimating the Spaniards with might and main. In the end, the Jesuits had to accept defeat in this struggle - and they did it masterfully: they simply established control over the trade in mate, which in Europe for this reason began to be called “Jesuit infusion.”
Nowadays, mate is extremely popular in many countries of South America - especially in Argentina and Chile, where it has long been a favorite drink of gaucho shepherds, giving them strength for hard work and allowing them to get by on a minimal diet.
Useful properties of mate
The mate contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements; it truly has unique healing and tonic properties. According to scientists from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, it contains vitamins A, C, E, P, all B vitamins (and in a concentration greater than in bee honey), magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, sulfur, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid acid and much more. Yerba mate contains mateine, which, while having an effect on the body similar to caffeine, does not carry it with it. side effects, such as overexcitation of the central nervous system, increased heart rate, and nervous tremors. Matein is a stimulant of both physical and mental activity of a person, and it is mild and non-addictive. In addition, mate is considered useful tool to normalize sleep. According to South American experts, Paraguayan tea significantly reduces the manifestations of depression, neuroses, anxiety syndromes, and regulates the sleep cycle. Many scientists note the immunostimulating effect of the drink and even insist on its use by residents of large cities.
There is only one “but” in all this: the Montevideo Oncology Institute believes that drinking hot mate is “possibly carcinogenic” - in their opinion, it can lead to esophageal cancer. Apparently, this remark is due to the fact that in some regions (for example, in Paraguay) it is customary to drink mate scalding hot - and drinking any boiling water is harmful to the esophagus and stomach - with or without mate.
How to brew and use mate correctly
It is correct to drink mate from special containers - calabashes(the names calabash, calabash are also used) through a metal tube - bombilla. The classic calabash is a small hollowed-out pumpkin. The bombilla tube is always made of metal, of stainless steel or silver, although long ago the tubes were simply hollow plant stems. Bombilla, straight or curved, but it always ends with a flatter than the rest of the tube and a wide strainer. According to one of my Argentinean acquaintances, bombillas are never washed - they are simply replaced with a new one.
Experts say that you cannot immediately buy calabash and only drink mate from it when you get home. First, you need to prepare the dishes: pour mate into the calabash, about 2/3 of the volume of the vessel. Fill with hot water (not boiling water!). Without covering, leave the calabash for a day, and then pour out the infusion and carefully, preferably with a soft cloth, clean the calabash.
But now the container is prepared, you can start preparing the mate. So, put yerba mate powder into a calabash 2/3 of the volume, cover it with your palm and shake lightly. Now the large factions have fallen to the bottom. We tilt the calabash so that all the tea leaves neatly fall to one wall. Now we insert the bombilla into the void under the other wall and smoothly return the calabash to a vertical position. After this, hot, but not boiling water ( ideal temperature 70-80 degrees) carefully pour the tea leaves, but not completely, but to the level of intersection of the powder and bombilla. In this case, you need to plug the hole in the bombilla with your finger so that the tea leaves do not get into the tube. Let it sit for a minute or two so that the tea leaves are completely moistened and slightly compressed, and then carefully add water almost to the top of the calabash. When brewing mate, do not move the bombilla or stir the tea with it.
Have a good morning with calabash mate!
Your Roman Mironenko
