Yerba mate in teabags: pros and cons

Opinions are divided. Some believe that if you drink yerba mate, you should only use the traditional way of preparing it. Others, on the other hand, value the time saving and ease of preparation. What is it like? Which option is better – yerba mate in teabags or the traditional one? Is yerba mate in sachets as valuable as traditionally prepared mate?

Summary:

1. Where did the idea for yerba mate in sachets come from?
2. Yerba mate in teabags – properties
3. Yerba mate in teabags – brewing in four steps
4. Faster and more convenient! Advantages of yerba mate in sachets
5. Mate tea in sachets. What are the opinions? Which version of yerba mate is better?
6. Yerba mate in sachets – where to buy and what to choose?

Where did the idea for yerba mate in sachets come from?

The Guarani Indians were the first to drink yerba mate. Hundreds of years ago, they discovered the miraculous properties of the plant – Ilex paraguariensis – that grew in the Amazon jungle. From then on, they chewed the freshly picked leaves, believing that they gave them energy and helped them to concentrate better. Later, they began to make an infusion from the dried and crushed leaves. Drinking yerba mate became their daily routine. When the Jesuits arrived in South America from distant Europe in the 17th century, they became enthralled with Indian culture and were particularly interested in the plant, which the natives held in an almost unique cult.

Through trial and error, missionaries from overseas began to develop techniques for growing Ilex paraguariensis and producing yerba mate. They wanted to popularise an infusion with excellent stimulating and health-promoting properties in Europe, so that yerba mate would almost be on a par with the world-famous tea. They were looking for a way to give yerba mate a form that would be more friendly to Europeans who were used to drinking conventional tea. This is how they came up with yerba mate cocido, i.e. specially prepared leaves of mate that are boiled in water, strained and then drunk without grounds.

300 years later, tea in sachets – packaged in paper pouches that allowed for convenient brewing and quick disposal of the grounds – was patented. In 1988, the Paraguayan brand Pajarito took over the tea-bag company and came up with the idea of creating the first yerba mate in sachets on the market. Although bagged mate tea is usually brewed with cooled water rather than boiling water, this type of mate is now also called mate cocido, just as boiled mate used to be. To this day, many yerba mate brands still sell dried mate packaged in teabags alongside traditionally loose-packed products. This method is quite popular among mate lovers because it has many advantages. According to research, more than 9% of Argentines prefer this way of consuming yerba mate.

Yerba mate in teabags – properties

The sachets of yerba mate cocido are typically packed with around 2-3 grams of dried product – the leaves themselves, without dust or sticks. The paper bags, usually fitted with a string to make it easier to dip the sachet in water, are often additionally packed in small envelopes made of paper or other material. A dozen bags of yerba mate are packed in a cardboard box. Depending on the brand, mate in teabags is available in many varieties and types – classic without additives or enriched with herbs and flavourings. We should also add that yerba mate in sachets is no different in terms of properties from traditionally packaged mate. It contains caffeine, vitamins, minerals and other valuable ingredients in the same way. The only difference is that traditional yerba mate is prepared with a larger amount of dried leaves and therefore has a slightly stronger effect than mate in teabags.

Yerba mate in teabags – brewing in four steps

Yerba mate in sachets, is an ideal product for people who do not have time to brew the infusion. Anyone who prefers a weaker and milder beverage should try mate in sachets. With this version you can save a lot of time, but also money. So how to brew yerba mate in teabags? All you need is a cup and a kettle. There is no need to invest in a special mate gourd, bombilla or other accessories needed for traditional yerba mate brewing. The procedure for preparing yerba mate in sachets is trivially simple, almost the same as for regular tea. All you have to do is boil water, put the bag with yerba mate in a cup, pour in the hot water and wait a few minutes. Some brands produce dried mate in such a way that you can pour boiling water over it without worry. With most products, however, it is important to remember that yerba mate in sachets is brewed in the same way as traditional mate – pour in water at a temperature of around 70-80°C.

Faster and more convenient! Advantages of yerba mate in sachets

Yerba mate brewed from a bag has many advantages – some of which we have already mentioned. Firstly, there is the saving of valuable time. Mate in sachets is brewed in virtually the same way as regular tea, and the whole process, including a fair amount of time, takes about 7-10 minutes. Secondly, it saves money. The dried product itself, packaged in bags, is unlikely to be much different in terms of price from that packaged in the traditional way. But by opting for mate cocido, we do not have to buy the additional accessories – mate gourd and bombilla. Another advantage is the convenience of brewing mate in teabags. There is no chance of a portion of dried mate, packed in a sachet, spilling inadvertently on the kitchen counter. There are no grounds floating in the brew that enter the mouth. After drinking the brew, simply remove the soaked sachet and throw it in the waste bin. Yerba mate in sachets is also a much more convenient form of brewing outside the home – at work, at school or when travelling.

Mate tea in sachets. What are the opinions? Which version of yerba mate is better?

Many people consider that real yerba mate must be brewed traditionally – with a special mate gourd and drunk through a bombilla. People who drink large quantities of infusion on a daily basis believe that yerba mate in sachets hardly resembles real mate at all. Neither in terms of taste, nor aroma, and certainly in terms of effect. In addition, brewing mate like a normal tea – without a special cup, a bombilla, making a mound and watching the holly leaves gradually getting wet – takes away all the magic. Brewing yerba mate in sachets is a streamlining of the preparing and drinking process and saves time, so it's a great option for those who have little. Due to the smaller amount of product in the bag, yerba mate in sachets is also milder in taste and effect than traditional mate in loose form. This version is therefore recommended for novice mateists, but supporters of intense and specifically stimulating mate should choose the traditional brewing option. The truth is that everyone should try both versions and decide which is better for them. Not everyone is affected by yerba mate in the same way. So it is worth finding out which version turns out to be better. Or is saving time and ease of preparation a more important factor? This is an individual matter and everyone should answer this question for themselves.

Yerba mate in sachets – where to buy and what to choose?

If you opt for yerba mate in teabags – we invite you to visit our special shop category, where you will find many interesting types, from the most well-known and appreciated producers of yerba mate. We particularly recommend mate in teabags by Selecta. This Paraguayan brand, which has become famous all over the world, offers, among others, a more stimulating yerba mate Energy with added guarana and yerba mate Silueta with added aromatic herbs – aimed at people taking care of their figure. Yerba mate by Pajarito – a pioneer in the production of mate cocido – is available in the form of sachets in several versions additionally enriched with fruit aromas. In our shop you can also find yerba mate by Argentine brand Taragüi.

Source of information:

1. Wikipedia: Mate cocido.
2. A. Gawron-Gzella, J. Chanaj-Kaczmarek, J. Cielecka-Piontek, Yerba Mate-A Long but Current History, Nutrients, 2021.
3. A. Samoggia, P. Landuzzi, C. E. Vicién, Market Expansion of Caffeine-Containing Products: Italian and Argentinian Yerba Mate Consumer Behavior and Health Perception, Environmental Reseearch and Public Health, 2021.
4. pajarito.com.py.