Eleven different maté infusions in one box — the sensible way to find out which one you actually like, and a genuinely good gift for anyone curious about maté without being sure where to begin.
Why a sampler makes particular sense here
Maté divides people, and it divides them mostly on one axis: how much of its vegetal bitterness you want to taste. A peppermint blend hides almost all of it, a berry blend balances it with acidity, a spiced chai works around it, and the plain green maté gives it to you straight. Which of those you prefer is not something anyone can predict for you, and buying a full packet of the wrong one is how most people conclude they dislike maté in general.
Eleven small quantities solves that for the price of roughly one or two full packets.
What maté is
The leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, a South American holly. It is not tea and it is not a caffeine-free herbal infusion — it contains caffeine, roughly between a cup of tea and a weak coffee per serving. These are Brazilian green maté blends, dried without smoke, so they are grassy and clean rather than tasting of bonfire like the Argentine yerba many Europeans meet first.
Brewing, whichever one you try
80 °C, never boiling. This is the mistake that ruins maté for most beginners, and in a box of eleven it would ruin all of them at once. Boil the kettle and let it stand two or three minutes.
A teaspoon to a tablespoon per mug, five minutes, re-infusing up to three times. Cover the mug for anything containing mint or spice.
Worth knowing
Let each cup cool below about 65 °C before drinking. The health concerns associated with maté relate to drinking it scalding hot in the traditional way rather than to the plant itself.
Contains caffeine. Eleven infusions is a set to work through over weeks, not an afternoon. In pregnancy the guidance is under 200 mg of caffeine a day from all sources.
Mojo Maté
Mojo Maté
ORIGINAL MATE
ORIGINAL MATE
