What is yerba mate?
Yerba mate is the leaf of the Ilex paraguariensis tree, dried, aged and ground together with some of its stems. It is not a herb: it is a tree of the Paraná rainforest, and it was cultivated long before the Spanish arrived — the Guaraní were already drinking it. It is prepared in a vessel (the mate) with hot water and drunk through a metal straw (the bombilla), and in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil it is above all a way of being with other people.
With stems or without
Con palo includes fragments of stem, which make the flavour milder and the mate last longer: the stems hold the leaf apart and let the water move. It is the most common kind in Argentina.
Sin palo (despalada) is almost pure leaf: stronger, more bitter, with more body. It is the Uruguayan style and that of most Paraguayan mates.
Neither is better: it is preference, and people starting out usually find the one with stems friendlier.
What goes with it
A mate session asks for something from the bakery, and that is most of the recipes on this page: bizcochitos, tortas fritas on rainy days, chipá, madeleines.
The water goes in hot but not boiling — between 75 and 85 °C. Boiling water scorches the yerba and the mate is bitter from the first sip.
Which one to choose
Latin American grocers and specialist tea shops stock it, and it is widely available online. Argentine, Uruguayan and Brazilian brands are all easy to find outside the region.
To start, look for one labelled con palo (with stems) and suave. The despaladas and the long-aged ones are more intense and tend to be an acquired taste.
A gourd and a bombilla are worth buying together with it: yerba brewed in a teapot is a different drink.
The recipes
Frequently asked questions
- Does yerba mate contain caffeine?
Yes, it contains caffeine (sometimes called mateine, though it is the same molecule). A mate refilled several times gives a lift comparable to a coffee, spread out over time.
- Can it be drunk from a cup like tea?
Yes, that is mate cocido, made with a teabag or by boiling the yerba and straining it. It tastes different and it is not the mate ritual, but it is common at breakfast.
- How long does an open pack last?
A few months in an airtight container away from light. It does not spoil, but it loses aroma and the mate starts tasting flat.
Updated on 2026-08-08