How to Make Yerba Mate Tea
Get step-by-step directions on how to make this caffeinated herbal tea.
Servings: 1 serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup water + more to warm teapot
- 2 teaspoons yerba mate
Instructions
- Boil water. Don’t use boiling hot water for yerba mate. Heat water to where it just starts to simmer. Turn off heat. If using an electric kettle with temperature setting, set it to 165°F. Filtered water is best.
- Warm up teapot.Pour some hot water into a teapot and swirl it around a bit. Discard the water.Warming up the teapot is an extra step that all tea professionals take the time to do, so that when the tea steeps, the water temperature won't drop drastically.
- Put yerba mate into the teapot and add hot water. Cover teapot and steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain yerba mate solids and pour hot tea into a teacup.
Notes
- There will still be little particles of yerba mate leaves in your cup after you strain, and that's perfectly fine to drink. You can also strain it a couple of times to get rid of the smaller bits.
- Yerba mate tea isn’t usually sweetened, but if you want to it’s best to use simple syrup (half water, half sugar). It incorporates into iced tea the easiest.
- You don't need a traditional gourd to enjoy this tea properly. A teapot and cup does the job just as well.
- Buy yerba mate in small portions. It doesn’t go bad but the herbs do go stale over time, so buying smaller amounts will help maintain its flavor.