Yerba Mate, Traditional Organic
Ilex paraguariensis
$4.00
Origin: Santa Catarina, Brazil
Note: Contains caffeine
The plant can reach forty feet tall. Has gray stems, oval leaves and small green or purplish-red fruit. Erva mate leaves are utilized in cooking. The native plants used to reproduce only by birds of the region who ate the small fruit and defecated its seed already scarified. The seedling is very sensitive to the sun, requiring shading until it reaches some maturity. Became prohibited in southern of Brazil during the sixteenth century being considered “the devil’s grass” by Jesuit priests of Reduções do Guairá. From the seventeenth century, they began to encourage its use in order to pull people away from alcohol. Nowadays, there are seed-plot producing seedlings of selected varieties, whose planting is done with special techniques in large orchards. In order to make the annual harvest of the branches easier, the tree is severely pruned to keep no more than ten feet tall.
Hot Herbal Tea/Tisane
1-2 teaspoons of tea per 8oz cup
Use boiled water that has set about 2 minutes (176F) and steep for 5-7 minutes.
Traditional
Fill gourd about ⅓ of the way full and shake to the side, place bombilla in gourd. Wet with cold water, then fill with warm to hot water. Let steep a few minutes, then enjoy, refilling with water as liquid is depleted.
Blending Recommendations
Rustic notes with a hint of smoke lend it well to many flavor profiles. We’ve incorporated it into many blends with citrus, mint, spice, and floral notes.
Interesting Historic NotesBecame prohibited in southern of Brazil during the sixteenth century being considered “the devil’s grass” by Jesuit priests of Reduções do Guairá. From the seventeenth century, they began to encourage its use in order to pull people away from alcohol.
