The last mate post was in January 2005, so I am going to renew the buzz…
I absolutely LOVE yerba mate. I’ve been drinking it for about 3 or 4 years now, and I still just love the taste. According to Wikipedia, Yerba mate is: “A highly caffeinated herbal tea called mate prepared by steeping the dried leaves in hot water. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd (also called a mate) with a metal straw (a bombilla) is an extremely common social practice in Paraguay and Argentina.”
I started by buying a bag of Guayaki (tea bags) from Whole Foods in Chicago out of curiosity (I am addicted to buying different teas), and have since purchased my own gourd and bombilla straw, along with loose mate leaves from Teavana at Tyson’s Corner mall. I love being able to relax at home, drinking mate. It’s so great. I am considering planning our next vacation to Argentina just so I can sit around with some locals in a village and drink some traditional mate.
I enjoy drinking mate over coffee anyday, because I feel more energy without feeling jittery or nervous (like I’m having a panic attack) when I OD on coffee. It’s better than tea to me, because it’s a better stimulant. Plus, it’s rumored to be an appetite suppressant as well, but I haven’t noticed too much of that lately. I did notice it more, when I drank it on a more consistent basis.
Today, I received my shipment of 2lbs loose leaf mate from Nativa. I recommend this company, my order came quickly, and the products (mate and herbs) are delicious!
Another great site to order from is EcoTeas, and Aviva. Also, for more local suggestions, check out the January 2005 archive.
Enjoy!