Yerba Mate – A Long but Current History (2021)

Post by sombragris » Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 5:23 PM UTC

the_af wrote: post #89

lloydatkinson wrote: post #38

I bought a couple of nice bags of what I believed to just be normal herbal tea. Having never heard of this "yerba mate" thing I thought it was just the brand. Once I looked closer at the bags it had a whole load of instructions like "use the pipe" and "don't stir as it blocks the pipe" which was just bizarre. Since when is a pipe or straw needed for tea? I tried to make a normal herbal tea with it but it tasted disgu…

I hate to say this, but "you're doing it wrong". Mate is not prepared like herbal tea, which is why you don't like it: you're preparing it wrong. It's also a low brow infusion, people from lower social strata drink it as much as well offs, so it has nothing to do with being hipster. Again, go watch an Argentinian YouTube video to learn how it's supposed to be prepared. It's OK if you don't like it -- don't tell other…

Post by nbk_2000 » Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 5:40 PM UTC

fullstop wrote: post #61

nbk_2000 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).…

I was told to spit out the first few sips.

Post by Kaibeezy » Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 5:53 PM UTC

contingo wrote: post #79

Kaibeezy wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re right, it’s wrong, but not that wrong. Several sources indicate the majority of Ilex species occur in South America and Asia, so that was probably what they meant to say. Ilex paraguariensis is limited to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, and are clearly the “Ilex trees” referred to in the second sentence quoted. So, yeah, it’s imprecise and syntactically sloppy but not that far out, and not the main po…

It's woefully wrong for something in the primary literature. Yes, I understood what information they were sloppily failing to be precise about. If I were refereeing this paper I'd insist on a correction.

Post by the_af » Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 6:15 PM UTC

sombragris wrote: post #101

the_af wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to say this, but "you're doing it wrong". Mate is not prepared like herbal tea, which is why you don't like it: you're preparing it wrong. It's also a low brow infusion, people from lower social strata drink it as much as well offs, so it has nothing to do with being hipster. Again, go watch an Argentinian YouTube video to learn how it's supposed to be prepared. It's OK if you don't like it -- don't tell other…

In fact it could be. It's one way of preparing the tea known as "mate cocido" or just "cocido". You brew it as you would brew regular tea leaves. People here prefer "cocido quemado", which is yerba mate roasted with sugar on charcoal for brewing tea, but brewing cocido as an herbal tea is quite well known and accepted. And I admit the taste is somewhat different not only to other teas, but to other mate brews and bev…

Post by lloydatkinson » Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 6:26 PM UTC

orhmeh09 wrote: post #83

lloydatkinson wrote: post #38

I bought a couple of nice bags of what I believed to just be normal herbal tea. Having never heard of this "yerba mate" thing I thought it was just the brand. Once I looked closer at the bags it had a whole load of instructions like "use the pipe" and "don't stir as it blocks the pipe" which was just bizarre. Since when is a pipe or straw needed for tea? I tried to make a normal herbal tea with it but it tasted disgu…

You can easily find the answers to these questions by spending an hour or so reading about them. Instead, you choose to make this public display of emotions on being confronted with something slightly unfamiliar, helpful to nobody at all. It’s unbecoming that someone who calls themselves a programmer would be shocked that specialty tools exist.