For those who aren’t feeling the coffee love or are looking to expand their beverage horizons, there are options. Yerba mate is a Latin American drink made from leaves of the yerba plant and consumed in a hollowed out gourd using a metal filtered straw-like apparatus called a bombilla. It is consumed mainly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and parts of Brazil. Many who drink it report multiple health benefits including improved energy, mental clarity, and whatnot. The beverage is shared, using the same mate gourd and bombilla, among close friends and family. It’s a whole bonding experience. You can read more about the traditional ways of serving and drinking mate here and here.
Many brands are available in the U.S. I used to like Pajarito, but my fondness was probably more for the pretty packaging* than the taste of the product. Pajarito is mostly stem and powder, and therefore tastes bitter and tends to clog your bombilla on the first few pours. I have since switched to the superior Cruz de Malta brand, which I recommend for starters. I get mine at Rodman’s (5100 Wisconsin Avenue), where they stock at least three or four different brands at any given time in their wonderful “international” foods aisle. You can also get it at Vace’s (3315 Connecticut Avenue) and just about any Latin American grocery store in the city. Do not, I repeat, do not buy your yerba mate at Whole Foods.
*True fact: You can make a purse out of an empty yerba mate package. Just reinforce the base with a small piece of cardboard, coat the entire thing with a few layers of varnish, attach a strap using some metal snaps, and voila! You have a post fit for a different blog. Oh wait…