The classic morning pick-me-up is coffee. This is available in many different variations. Alternatives are still the tea classics black tea and green tea of different origins, pure or flavored. But now the generation of added value is at the start, a healthy start to the day is in demand and the drink can combine the benefits of several products. This all-rounder really does exist: green mate tea!

It all depends on a good start

Drinking is healthy – and especially important in the morning. Normally we don’t drink anything all night, so we slip into a fluid deficit. We then have a day ahead of us during which we should drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of liquid. In the past, coffee was exempt from this, but according to more recent findings it can be added to the fluid balance. Good for those who start the morning with a pick-me-up and don’t reach for a glass of water first. The latter is actually the ideal start to the day. The fluid deficit is reduced, the metabolism is stimulated and you can also see on your skin if you have consumed enough fluids first thing in the morning.

If you want to do something good for yourself in the morning without missing out on the wake-up effect, green mate tea is a good alternative.

Tried and tested from South America

Even the indigenous people of South America drank green mate tea before colonization. They called it the “drink of the gods” or “green gold of the Indians”.

The caffeine content of mate tea lies between that of coffee and green tea. However, the caffeine in mate tea differs significantly from the caffeine contained in coffee. In mate tea, the stimulating effect is felt more slowly and over a longer period of time. Unlike coffee, green mate tea is not oily and does not irritate the stomach. It contains a variety of health-promoting nutrients, has a performance-enhancing effect, improves concentration and is considered a mood-enhancing remedy for many an illness. Ideal as a healthy pick-me-up and pick-me-up between meals.

Mate tea is commercially available in either the green or roasted variety.

Green mate tea, known as taraging, ferments for around a month at temperatures of 50 – 60 degrees Celsius, after which the residual moisture is removed from the shredded leaves by briefly heating them to around 400 degrees Celsius.

For the “Real Mate” variant, the leaves, stems, flower stalks and young shoots are evenly twisted in wire drums over a fire and roasted in this way. The high temperatures destroy the enzymes in the leaves. This stops the fermentation process. This preserves the typical green color and produces characteristic flavors and aromas.

Chimarrão Yerba Mate

How to do it

In times of “tea to go” and canned tea, the traditional preparation of mate tea is a little too time-consuming. This requires a pre-prepared “calabash”, a hollowed out and dried gourd, and a “bombilla”, a metal straw with a sieve at the end to prevent the leaves from getting into the straw. It is easier to brew it in a pot like any other tea. One of many preparation methods recommends adding approx. 12 g, i.e. about four teaspoons, to one liter of water. According to other preparation recommendations, no more than three teaspoons should be used per liter of water. The water should be heated to approx. 70-80 degrees Celsius. This preserves the valuable ingredients of the mate tea. The infusion time is between five and ten minutes, depending on how strong you would like it to be.

If you pour yourself a mate tea in the morning, you can enjoy it hot as a pick-me-up to wake you up. To make the most of the health bonus, you should not overdo it. The same applies to mate tea: 1 – 3 cups a day. Due to its caffeine content, mate tea, like coffee, is considered a stimulant and is less suitable as a thirst quencher. In South America, mate tea is not drunk after 5 p.m. due to its wakeful effect. To quench your thirst, it is better to drink (mineral) water – it is rich in minerals and calorie-free – and therefore the ideal supplement if you want to drink healthily.

The right choice

When it comes to the type of mate tea, air-dried Guayaki mate tea should be preferred. In contrast to smoke-dried mate tea, it contains around 80 percent less polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzopyrenes, which are suspected of causing cancer. The high PAH content is caused by smoke drying.

Drinking green keeps you healthy and fit

Green is healthy – this is true in the case of mate tea. Enjoyed in the morning as a pick-me-up, it is a healthy source of fluids. Make sure you choose the right variety. Then you can benefit from the health-promoting effect without taking any risks. If you drink it in moderation and quench your thirst with healthy (mineral) water, you will be bursting with energy.