Yerba Mate, anyone?

[Matt_S]

I got a bag of Yerba Mate, which is a kind of South American tea, from my brother-in-law when he traveled to Venezuela (or was it Argentina?) a couple years ago. I just tried the stuff recently and wasn't impressed to put it nicely. Maybe I didn't make it right, but how do you screw up tea? I used my French Press with near-boiling water.

Anyway, if I made it wrong, someone please tell me. Maybe it sat around too long.

Otherwise, it's yours for the cost of shipping. The bag has been opened, but is 98% full. It will be completely sealed before shipping. My ZIP is 48310 if you're interested in shipping costs.

 

[Pablo]

Over two years ago? Yikes!

 

[tom slick]

buy some guayaki matte if you can find it, I drink it daily. french press works fine, you can't steep it too long, but it's ready in a couple of minutes.

it does taste like smoke and dirt and takes a little time to get used to. it does not taste like any other kind of tea.
the traditional way to drink it is out of a gord with a special straw.

 

[moribundman]

Well, it's not tea but some herbal brew. Trader Joe carries it.

 

[Inliner]

He bought your the yerba, but did he bring you a mate and a bombilla?

I enjoy this drink quite often after spending lots of time in Argentina. It takes a while to get the preparation perfected. Your problem was probably the water being too hot. About 165 degrees is all you need. Any hotter will "burn" the yerba and kill the taste I like to add a little sugar to each mate before adding the water. What brand is the yerba? I highly suggested giving it another go.

 

[oilyriser]

You can get that in Toronot, at some grocery stores. Not much flavour, but it has caffeine.

 

[Matt_S]

I do have one of those bowls with the special straw. Does that make a difference in the taste? I suppose I'll give it another shot with not-so-hot water and some sugar, but from what you guys are saying, it's just something you have to get used to. I'll post back later.

Sorry for the delayed response, BTW. This thread honestly slipped my mind for a while.