Yerba Mate
South America's answer to coffee: a leafy, grassy brew with serious caffeine and none of the jittery crash most coffee drinkers know too well.
What It Is
Yerba mate comes from a holly tree native to the rainforests of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The leaves are dried and sometimes lightly smoked, which gives the tea its signature earthiness. It sits in a strange, satisfying middle ground: more caffeine than black tea, less than espresso, with a flavor that tastes like green tea joined a forest.
For centuries it has been a daily ritual across South America, passed in a shared gourd and sipped through a metal straw. You don't need the gourd. A french press or a simple strainer works fine.
What To Do
Use about one tablespoon of loose leaf per eight ounces of water heated to around 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, not a full boil. Boiling water makes it bitter fast. Steep three to five minutes, strain, and drink it plain or with a splash of milk of choice and a little honey.
Yerba mate also cold-brews well. Combine one to two tablespoons with eight ounces of cold water, refrigerate overnight, and strain in the morning. Pair it with citrus, mint, or ginger if you want to push the flavor somewhere brighter. Store loose leaf in an airtight container away from light.
