The Best Drink You Never Heard Of | Yerba Mate | Starts With Kitchen

Yerba maté is a drink consumed by millions of people worldwide, but it hasn’t quite caught on in the US. Part of this reason is due to its rather bitter taste. In this video I’ll show my technique for making a much smoother and approachable flavor!
In countries like Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brasil, you will see sports players, supermodels, and the average dude walking around with their mate. It is a very social drink and has many health boosting properties. It has almost no calories per serving, and is a natural appetite suppressant as well. If you are into caffeine without all the calories, consider adding Yerba maté to your arsenal.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:33 About Yerba Mate
02:55 How To Make Cold Brew
05:22 Serving Suggestions
Music: Golden Days
Musician: Philip E Morris
Music: Last Summer
Musician: @iksonmusic

[@joaopires2216]

As someone who has been drinking terere and chimarrão (brazilian mate) for more than 10 years I didn't realize it was possible to cold brew mate this way. Definitely gonna try Thanks

[@startswithkitchen]

Definitely give it a try in the hot months 👍

[@foolish3art]

Works with coarsely ground coffee also

[@rebel4466]

Works with hot water as well. If you use near boiling water, your mate is going to be bitter. If you use around 140°F (60°C) water, you get a much better experience. You can vary the water temperature for optimizing the tea to your personal taste. You can also brew it like a traditional tea, by just pouring the hot water over the tea and removing the leaves afterwards. This will also result in a less intense product, as there is no "strong" to "weak" phase like when consumed in the gourd. Most important though: Use beginner mate, if you're a beginner. Cruz de Malta is a nice and beginner friendly tea. But there are much more potent ones out there and you more than likely won't have a good first experience with those. It's basically like a starbucks drink (the Cruz de Malta) vs strong black coffee in terms of coffee taste. No shame in preferring a "beginner" tea. Some just look for more and there definitely are many products out there that will cover all the bases.

[@MirrorscapeDC]

Interesting, so mate is like green tea. green tea made with boiling water is disgusting, but get it down to 60/70C and you can actually taste something other than bitter

[@startswithkitchen]

☝️Pay attention folks, this is an expert!

[@lddtyrone]

Thank you for sharing…I add mint and agave in the 2nd batch and serve it ice cold

[@startswithkitchen]

I love it with mint when in season 😋

[@joiscara7191]

I have two 64oz jars, steep one batch over the weekend for two days, after 24 hours of that batch, I steep the second jar, drink the next day, then repeat. The color is greener, bitterness is a lot stronger and I’m loving my system. I have a funnel and pre-cut 6”x6” cheesecloth as my straining method as I want to remove the leaves but allow the dust to stay.

[@startswithkitchen]

Great system! 👍

[@JonClark125]

You killed me when talking about its taste. I’ve been drinking it for years and you described it perfectly haha

[@startswithkitchen]

You know it’s true!

[@yeneyacuna1]

Love your process... its a great way to get the most out of the yerba... vid saved! Thanks

[@startswithkitchen]

Glad you enjoyed it 😄

[@kristinafilipovic7897]

it's sooooo good - thumbs up

[@startswithkitchen]

Thanks! Glad you liked it 😁

[@757flyer]

Great vid. Thank you. 😊

[@startswithkitchen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@PWL1371]

Great video. Never knew this existed. I prefer a bitter drink over something sugary so may give this a try. Thanks for sharing!

[@startswithkitchen]

Glad you liked it! You can start out with the French press method and serve hot or iced just to get your feet wet in the world of Yerba mate

[@lawrenceshdow]

You gotta try it... Even though its admittedly a trend at this point. Its also amazing. It naturally increases glp-1 secretion which is the bodies natural appetite suppressant.. Tells your brain that you don't want to chew anymore. Which makes it awesome for mornings to make intermittent fasting easier.

[@karstenkailer4669]

I just use the French-Press - leave it for a night and press it down the next day.

[@startswithkitchen]

Yes, sometimes I make things more complicated than they need to be 😆

[@caswellthompson6432]

Very good idea

[@ic6812]

What yerba mate do you use

[@guillermohein]

sweet. thanks a lot

[@startswithkitchen]

No worries!

[@josemonzon7278]

Interesting way to drink it, cheers from argentina

[@startswithkitchen]

Thanks! 😊

[@norbertokennedy2550]

I just purchased my first two bags of the product, I had a first serving using the traditional way, it was a bit strong and bitter, but I liked it. I’m going to follow the brewing instructions on your video moving forward. Thanks!

[@startswithkitchen]

Let me know what you think!

[@Madheim777]

mate has its techniques of preparations: the correct temperature of the water, avoiding to burn the yerba, pouring it the right way, and also putting the bombilla while blocking its opening, to not drink at the first zip some of the yerba.

[@startswithkitchen]

Yes I love learning all about it over the years

[@ebikeoutdoors]

Nice one man I have just started having this in a mate but definitely going to try the cold one cheers pal 🍸👊👍

[@startswithkitchen]

Excellent hope you enjoy it!

[@ebikeoutdoors]

@@startswithkitchen thanks mate yes really enjoying it is is normal that it keeps me awake at night it seems to of given me an enagey boost ✌👍

[@startswithkitchen]

It is a stimulant, while not as strong as coffee, you should keep track of how it affects you

[@ebikeoutdoors]

@@startswithkitchen I definitely will keep track you see I have heart disease and I don't know if it's just coincidence but it really does seem to help with my blood pressure and motivated alot more so I'm going to have a couple of days off it then back on it so I can keep an eye on the difference I just hate taking all the tablets I'm on 9 different types each day cheers mate 👍 ✌

[@startswithkitchen]

Ok definitely look after your health first and foremost 🙏🏼 Yerba mate can be beneficial in many ways, but too much of a good thing can actually backfire. Best of luck to you

[@martinmercado7577]

Pruen la Yerba Mate con cafe y otras yerbas aromaticas como la "menta"...Saludos desde Argentina👍🏼

[@startswithkitchen]

I love it with fresh mint ❤️❤️❤️

[@dariopasquino10]

huh not a bad idea, i love my mate in the morning if ive got a busy morning ahead as the blonde coffee i drink goes right through you, i can definitely see me drinking with lemon, mint or perhaps basil and some honey syrup as im a sucker for those flavours in iced tea.

[@startswithkitchen]

It is excellent with fresh basil, same plant family as mint!

[@dawn56667]

Brilliant. I'm new to this so I'm off to buy some supplies. 😊 thank you so much ❤❤❤❤❤ can you use like orange peel ???

[@startswithkitchen]

Yes of course, it is common to flavor with fruits and herbs

[@viveviveka2651]

Hi, I've been experimenting and researching quite a bit over the past year. I really like your system. It's very nicely organized as well as aesthetic. I'm going to find some similar bottles. Maybe kombucha bottles? Maybe something else. The ones you have in the video have a clean look that I like. They're also nicely functional. Beautiful system. ... I thought I would share a few of my own findings in case you might be interested in some of them. Instead of one long comment, I'll break them up into more bite-sized, more single-topic comments. ... The first one: yes, I would like to see a video about terere. In the green tea vs matcha world, it's recognized, by Dr. Andrew Weil and others who have investigated it, that matcha gives you more nutrients and active compounds than green tea, even though they contain the same substance (the same leaves from the same plants), because the matcha form is much more powdery, which means much finer particles and much more suface area. So more compounds get released compared to larger particles. I thought it would be good to apply the same principle to yerba mate. I've been using Canarias "sin palo," which is very good. It has a lot of powder, but is not completely powdered. To take it to the next level, I cold-soak and then blend it in a high-speed blender. Yerba mate smoothies are a whole video-worthy topic in themselves.

[@startswithkitchen]

Good eye - my bottles in the video are repurposed kombucha bottles. They work so nicely it’s a shame to throw them out

[@startswithkitchen]

I’ll have to look into mate smoothies now!

[@viveviveka2651]

I was on a long road trip and wanted some yerba mate. The quickest, most direct and convenient way I could find was to put a scoop of sin-palo yerba in my mouth, and wash it down with a drink. Since then I've done it many times. It helps a lot to prime your mouth first with a sip (maybe two tablespoons or so) of water or a flavorful drink - but rather than swallowing it, it works better to keep it in your mouth, and then add the scoop of yerba to it. This way, the yerba wets out quickly. Otherwise, if there's no liquid added to your mouth first, your mouth is full of dry powder for a time. It just works a lot better with the added liquid. Now I also chew it for a while before washing it down, in order to break it up more and extract more from it. I'm not really that into flavor, though it is a plus. 90% or more of my interest in yerba mate is about the effects (like mood and energy levels, and types of energy, and other positive changes). Flavor is very, very secondary for me. If it tasted terrible but had wonderful effects, I would choose it hands-down, over great flavor with lower levels of positive changes in the quality of my mind, mood, and days. Flavor is a plus, but the leading consideration is the effects.

[@startswithkitchen]

Chewing it? Now you’ve got me thinking on another level 🤔

[@ajaj9056]

Thanks for the video! How do you heat up the cold brewed mate? Also, have you tried brewing this in the fridge ? Any different results?

[@startswithkitchen]

I heat mine in the microwave. Heated cold brew is much smoother than hot brewed mate. You can absolutely infuse in the fridge but it may take longer to reach the same potency

[@ajaj9056]

@@startswithkitchen Thanks for that. After watching your video. I tried cold brewing my yerba in a Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot. I used 21g of leaves to a ratio of about 1L of water. I never tried Mate prior to this but can confirm that it gave a good caffeine kick and some clarity. I also noted that with hot brewed mate, the ratio of leaves used is typically higher, maybe 50g to about 200ml. Any idea why cold brew uses less leaves?

[@startswithkitchen]

I use less leaves because I want it less potent, and also there is more time involved versus the hot version

[@viveviveka2651]

Would these sorts of double extractions extract virtually all of the caffeine? Or could you follow up with one more, a hot brewing, and get another extraction that has a significant amount of caffeine? Or would it be too weak to be worth doing?

[@startswithkitchen]

When you make mate either the traditional way or cold brew, you will get diminishing results each time you add more water. For me, the taste isn’t so great the third time around. I’m not sure how much caffeine is left but you could experiment with it

[@shannonpruitt9529]

If you steep it overnight does it still have the GL1-P effect? I am trying tonlower my blood sugar, get energy.

[@startswithkitchen]

I would suggest speaking to a certified nutritionist if you want to get that specific

[@theoneders2056]

How many oz of water in that mix per .25 cup of Mate??? 32? 16?

[@startswithkitchen]

I mix it with a quart size jar, so that’s 32oz

[@LyteFlex]

W

[@startswithkitchen]

👍

[@JesusChristisGodintheFlesh]

How much caffeine would you say is in each bottle ?

[@startswithkitchen]

I really have no idea. I never knew how to measure the caffeine apart from tracking how I feel compared to other drinks

[@Bruno-ke8qn]

Caralho, picA vou fazer

[@startswithkitchen]

😁

[@thecoolestmanever9068]

so it’s like terere?

[@startswithkitchen]

Yes very much so

[@viveviveka2651]

Another possibility is to do the cold-brewing in a pitcher that has a filtering lid. I have a pitcher like that on order that will arrive in a few days. A mason jar plus a screen lid or chessecloth would also work. The pitcher does have the advantage, though, of a spout that eliminates the need for a funnel by directing the flow more precisely, and also (if it has a properly designed spout) eliminates the sloppy pours that often occur with other containers, sloppy pours that involve some of of the liquid dripping down the side of the container.

[@startswithkitchen]

Definitely. You could even stick with the large French press from the start

[@viveviveka2651]

@@startswithkitchen I like that idea. I think I'll try it. I'm all for firsthand experimentation and trying new things. It's a good way to find out what fits the best. Test it out. Try it on. Take some test drives.

[@jossietorregrosa]

The best thing of the video was River plate mate bag

[@startswithkitchen]

Thanks I have only been using that brand for a short time but I really like it 👍

[@jeannettewilke205]

I would place it into a Sodastreqm and drink it cold.

[@startswithkitchen]

That’s great! I’ll have to get one of those

[@Bruno-ke8qn]

You have to come to rio de janeiro and go to the beach there you will ask for a mate with lemon. Talk like this" mermão me vê um Mate com limão"

[@startswithkitchen]

Ok see you there 😆

[@Jakelyn7133]

See : "Terere" .

[@startswithkitchen]

Yes I mentioned it in the video 👍

[@andregotz]

That drink is called Tereré, cold brew, hot brew is called Chimarrão

[@startswithkitchen]

Excellent, thanks!

[@andregotz]

Also its not Bombicha, its bombilla (the correct pronoun citation)

[@startswithkitchen]

Good to know, I’ve heard both ways

[@andregotz]

@@startswithkitchen grew up drinking Terere and chimarrão so yeah the pronouncing of the word is Bombi LEA (with the lea said faster to make the sound LL)

[@ZeginMakesMusic]

I bought some recently and it tastes gross. To add insult to injury, every time I drink it I get a mouthful of stems that stick to the back of my tongue and trigger my gag reflex. I've been through three filter straws and can't seem to filter anything with them. The flavor reminds me of kratom. What's surprising is that when you try to sweeten it, the flavor ends up worse. I can't say that I would recommend this to anyone that doesn't have a strong stomach and lack of gag reflex.

[@ChadRhat]

Consider that it’s user error. If you don’t set it up properly. You are guaranteed to get stem in our mouth and all the fine dust, thus making the flavour over powering and the texture bad

[@startswithkitchen]

I can attest I had to sample mate for years before I learned to appreciate the flavor. But you definitely shouldn’t be getting any particles that pass through a proper filter

[@ZeginMakesMusic]

I'm not sure if I should have updated my previous comment or add a new one, but upon appropriately preparing my mate, I am no longer getting stems and dust and the flavor has become less powerful and more subtle. The problem was that I was preparing the mate prior to putting the straw in, and my water was too hot. Now what I do is put the spoon inside of the gourd first, fill up halfway with mate, and make sure the water isn't too hot. I added a few teaspoons of sugar to the hot water and the results were incredible. The flavors were subtle yet profound and I was able to last all day without coffee. Not only is it an acquired taste, but it is an acquired technique.

[@Cesaz05]

​@@ZeginMakesMusic nice! Yea water temp is key, I add a bit a cold water to the leafs first so the leafs doesn't get scorched with the first pour of hot water.

[@Madheim777]

@@ZeginMakesMusic even in Argentina we have to struggle with the temperature of the water and avoiding to burn the yerba. if you managed to prepare it correctly, welcome to the mate club 😁

[@mustafaakn8365]

Cold mate must be disgusting

[@startswithkitchen]

I like it 😊

[@kingjae1498]

Anyone else feel like it's a whole herbal supplement rabbit hole we are oblivious to....randomly got this off the clearance rack and was surprised..I got the one in the yellow can...wasn't too crazy taste wise I guess because they added sugar

[@startswithkitchen]

I’ve tried a few canned or bottled Mate drinks. I’ll stick with the homemade version 😆