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Depends upon which flavor you find objectionable. If you don't like the taste of very strong green tea, then yerba mate may not be for you. However there are se
by nbk_2000 4y ago
Depends upon which flavor you find objectionable. If you don't like the taste of very strong green tea, then yerba mate may not be for you. However there are several other factors that can lead to yerba mate tasting bad. First is the quality and freshness of the yerba. It should be 6 months or less since it was packaged (check date stamps). It should be made with 80-85* C water (too hot, and it will be super bitter). Whether the yerba has stems (palitos) or not (despalada) can make a difference, stems contribute a bitter taste to the drink. As has been mentioned, knowing how to load the mate and get it primed can also have an effect (ideally, you're going for a slightly nutty, green tea flavor, with a tiny bit of sweetness). It also needs to be a high quality brand, which can be very difficult to obtain outside of S.America. Some high quality brands are:
- Taragui (Argentina)
- La Merced (Argentina)
- Union (Argentina)
- Canarias (Uruguay)
- Sara (Uruguay)
For preparing mate cold (called tereré)
- La Rubia (Paraguay)
- Pajarito (Paraguay)
... and though highly controversial, you can add sweetner to it to make it less bitter, at least until you palette adapts. But be prepared to be chided with "si no es amargo, no es mate" if mate connoisseurs catch you doing this.
- edmonddantes80 4y agoI will add Rosamonte premium, best yerba ever (at least for me).
- sombragris 4y agoMight not be the best ever but I can attest it's a fantastic product which I would recommend in a heartbeat.
- artur_makly 4y ago1. add some raw sugar ( 1 teaspoon per gourd ) 2. try the smoked 'Barbacua' flavor https://www.amazon.com/MERCED-Barbacua-Cosecha-Limitada-500gr/dp/B014KSCA14 https://www.amazon.com/MERCED-Barbacua-Cosecha-Limitada-500g... it rocked my world.
- nbk_2000 4y agoIf you love La Merced Barbacua, try to get a hold of some of the Barbacua from Sol y Lluvia, it's by far the best smoked yerba I've ever had!
- fullstop 4y agoI was told to spit out the first few sips.
- nbk_2000 4y agoTraditionally it's the job of the one preparing/serving the mate (the cebador) to take the first sips until it tastes right. So it's entirely up to you if you want to spit it out. Just make sure that by the time you offer it to someone else, that it's tasting good.
- shostack 4y agoI still can't get past the sharing aspect, especially in the time of covid. Have there been any studies on disease transmission in cultures that partake of drinks in this communal manner?
- sombragris 4y agoLet me add Colón Tradicional (Paraguay) for tereré. Yerba Mate is bitter, but there are different values and shades of bitterness. Taste between brands might vary quickly and in one brand, there might be various blends and varieties. For example, parent mentioned La Rubia. It's a fantastic product but it tastes too acidic for me. Colón (and Pajarito) is mellower in that regard. For example, Colón offers a premium variety with superb taste. I don't use it because I drink Tereré and after two or three sips the flavor completely washes away. The regular variety is stronger and lasts longer. When I have to explain yerba mate's taste to people, the most useful comparison is that the taste is somewhat similar to a more intense green tea.