I was wondering if you could give me advice on my mate that seems to have
accumulated some sort of black filmish mold on the inner part of my mate
(wood part). I just recently bought it and was told by my roomate that it
needed to be prepared properly before using by packing it with mate and
filling it with water. Well this produced a black mold. Now I’m afraid to
use it. Have you ever seen this before? If so is my mate salvagable? If not
what should I do in the future to prepare my mate before using. I read
something on your site about salt??
Thanks a lot,
- Sonia
Hi Sonia,
The first thing that comes to mind is the question how long was the water and mate sitting before being changed? In our recommended yerba mate gourd curing procedures we suggest allowing the water and salt or yerba mixture to sit no more than 24 hours at a time. Going longer than this can cause mold to form, though it’s usually white.
The
inside of a wood or gourd mate should typically turn black or dark green while curing. My best suggestion if it actually smells funny is to let it dry upside down so all the water drains out and then keep it in an extremely dry place for several days to kill the mold (mold can’t survive without moisture).
Next I would scrape our any hanging mold with a spoon and wash it out with hot water. Then I would repeat the curing process but instead of the normal 3-4 days of curing we recommend I would repeat the procedure for about a week. This should help to seal the pours in your mate.
As a rule of thumb don’t let any used, wet or moist yerba sit in your mate cup for more than 24 hours:)
Hope this helps get you back on track drinking your mate in no time!
If you are thinking about getting hooked on yerba mate there are a few things you should know like…
The Incredible Health Benefits Yerba Mate Provides
There are few foods or drinks that we consume as a staple of our diet that can dare to compare to the health benefits of yerba mate. A study done in the 1960’s by the Pasteur Institute in Paris concluded that mate contains almost all the nutrition human beings require to sustain health.
It’s no wonder that it’s been use for hundred (possibly thousands) of years and the tradition continues to be passed down from generation to generation. It’s a healthy tradition that can be shared and help to bring people together as the world and it’s technology continue to advance and human isolation seems to be at an all time high.
I can hardly talk to a person today who isn’t on antidepressants or directly related to a person on anti-depressants. I believe, and I know I’ll take heat for this, that depression is primarily a social and nutritional deficiency and can be cured naturally. The research results of yerba mate curing depression are still limited but I believe that the social effects of the ritual of yerba mate have proven and will continue to prove beneficial to users of antidepressants.
By the way, can I tell you a secret. I once used antidepressants, and during the time I was using them I got seriously demented. I honestly think they are like poison for the mind and tell anyone who’s on them to find an alternative to cope. Give the “Mate” a try and tell me what you think.
It wouldn’t hurt to share your yerba mate the traditional way with some good upbeat people. I’ve found that the greatest cure for almost any case of the blues is to spend some quality time with positive people who share in your ideals, avoid sarcasm, sarcastic people, and have some goals to work towards.
I hope my ramblings have brought you some insight on both a social benefit of yerba mate as well as a positive mindset of life.
Don’t be shy and make sure to leave a comment.
Tell me how drinking this “drink of friendship” has helped you and what other benefits you’ve enjoyed.
“My final question is regarding the temperature of the leaves. I have read the current article on your website regarding how many of the Uruguanians boil and boil their water before adding to the leaves and I have also read other articles that states that the water used to infuse shouldn’t be above 84 degrees C, otherwise some of the nutrients in the leaves could be lost? In your experience which is the best option?”
-Paul - UK
It’s true Uruguayos will boil their water until it scalds the mouth. Don’t ask me why, they just drink it muy, muy caliente.
My gaucha’s (wife’s) family is from Uruguay and even though I drink my yerba mate hot the traditional way I usually get my hot water from a preheated water cooler (which is not that hot). My gaucha’s used to it now too:)
I’ve seen reports that suggest that drinking it too hot can cause throat (esophagus) cancer which is why I usually pass if it’s hot enough to make me jump! Further tests revealed that the percentage of cases was too small to be linked with drinking mate too hot.
I just prefer to drink my yerba mate “non-boiling” because I find it more enjoyable. I have not heard any claims that suggest that hot yerba mate kills nutrients. Please feel free to share your source of information.
I should also mention the paraguayos are in the habit of drinking it “terere” which is the term for cold mate. I’ve had yerba mate prepared terere before and maybe it’s by habit, but I did not like it.
I guess I am just too used to a warm mate going down the old pipe.
Until next time… I’ll be drink my yerba mate hot…but not too hot!
“My second question is whether I would get the best benefits from drinking Yerba with food or on an empty stomach? My personal experience is that when I drink Yerba with food it actually suppresses my appetite throughout the day whereas if I drink the Yerba on an empty stomach, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on my appetite - does this sound normal, through your experience?”
Answers:
Yerba Mate is traditionally consumed before or after meals, not with it. Personally I rarely drink Yerba Mate with a meal. When I do I have found that I don’t experience the same energizing effect as I do when I drink it seperately. However, if drinking during a meal keeps you happy I wouldn’t discourage it. Often the body itself is the best indicator of what’s right for us…
Part of what you may be experiencing is the alkaline effect of yerba mate. Various studies have shown that yerba mate produces a balancing effect on the stomach acids produced to digest food. I would suggest watching if you get a different effect with different foods you eat because each type of food will produce a different enzyme to process your food. By canceling the enzymes produced to process your food (with the alkaline effect of yerba mate) you may actually be “tricking” you stomach into thinking you’re full because it is working harder to breakdown the foods.
Again let your body be your indicator.
One of the best health tips of all time is chewing your food 30 times before you swallow it. It’s a shame most people don’t take this advice. It can aid in weight loss and help digest and absorb nutrients in less than half the time, keeping you fit and healthy.
“…in regards to how much Yerba in terms of grams, should I use per litre of water? At the moment I am using around 20 grams per litre of water, each day - does this sound like enough or should I increase the amount to get more benefits?”
Answer:
Paul, I experimented myself with brewing Loose leaf Yerba Mate in a Coffee maker before. Besides the ease to add extra flavors or sweeteners like organic sugar or stevia, drinking brewed yerba mate offers similar health benefits and energizes easily.
When I brewed mine I normally used between 2-4 tablespoons/liter depending on the desired strength.
That’s really not much especially when compared with the amount that is used in a traditional gourd but it got me energized more easily and to me the taste was actually quite a bit stonger and definitely different.
As far as health benefits are concerned drinking regularly is all you should worry about. The amount you mix is entirely up to your personal preference, just as drinking coffee strong will only provide a more intense buzz. The health benefits of yerba mate as with almost anything else are appropriate in moderation.
Because yerba mate acts as a gentle diuretic, consuming too much at a time or making it too strong can actually lead to dehydration unless you continue to drink a glass of water during your drinking session.
Here’s a healthy tip: Despite popular belief there is no set amount of water your body needs per day. It will vary by the persons activity and diet. One thing to keep in mind is that in addition to water, your body also needs sodium to recharge your electrolytes. The best way to recharge your electrolytes is with a pinch of natural sea salt in your water or food.
Here are a few ideas that will help point you in the right direction.
Do you want style?
Then you should opt for a classic reed style bombilla or possibly a fancy one with an intricate design of silver and gold.
How important is durability?
You can get a sturdy stainless steel unbreakable bombilla with a screw off filter here.
Do you just want something cheap to try out?
Just pick up the cheapest one you can find. Some may have a tinny or metallic taste especially if it’s not stainless or nickel but it will let you get a feel for the traditional method of drinking if you don’t have anyone to try it with.
The Green Gold Yerba Mate boasts many health benefits.
Hundreds of thousands of South Americans can’t be wrong. When this little ritual was started in pre-colombian times little did the jungle running natives know that what they were creating was a future pop sensation in natural health.
One of the first health benefits you are going to notice when you start to drink yerba mate is the non-rear-entry colon cleansing effects, a reverse enema if you will. Yeah, “yuck” is right but you will feel like a million bucks once you’ve bypassed the initial “cleansing period”.
Yerba Mate also is used to detoxify. Being loaded with antioxidant, yes, even more than regular green tea, has proved time and time again why yerba mate is the tonic of choice for savvy natural health enthusiasts everywhere. If you’re a stranger to antioxidants and what they do, get with the program. Most fruits and veggies are loaded with antioxidants the primary way to reduce your risk of cancer, help fight it, and just plain have a great immune system.
I’ll leave you with that for today and let you know about a few more health benefits soon!
One that it provides, unlike it’s nasty neighbor coffee, is being an alkaline drink.
Being alkaline basically means that it will not upset your stomach like coffee is sometimes known to do. Coffee can be highly acidic and can irritate, especially after several cups. Yerba Mate is brewed from a natural tree leaf ( ilex paraguariensis ) that grows naturally in the sub tropical region of the Amazon Rainforest basin.
Alkaline also means that you can help to neutralize any irregularity you may be having in your stomach. Despite what most people think acid reflux is caused by a lack of acid, Yerba Mate can help to neutralize that. Check out this link about the healing powers of Yerba Mate, I think you’ll find it educational…
gauchoism: noun - the Free thinking, nomadic, yerba-mate-drinking, freedom loving attitude toward life
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