Hello everyone!
I decided to write a post about mate tea.
Today it can be found in almost every supermarket in packages with screaming names that it is superior to tea and coffee combined in its medicinal properties!
You just need to additionally purchase oscillas and bombilla, and then you can already enjoy a delicious Paraguayan drink without leaving your home.
In general, I decided to figure it out, is it worth buying all these “miracle things” with funny names, and why is mate tea so useful?
From this article you will learn:
Mate tea - useful properties and recipes for use
They say that this exotic mate tea has not only an amazing taste, but also a lot of useful properties.
True lovers of this non-traditional drink know exactly how positively it affects the body.
What is this exotic tea and how to drink it?
What is mate tea?
Mate, also in Spanish-Russian dictionaries, the stress on the first syllable is sometimes found, due to pronunciation in Spanish) - a tonic drink prepared from dried crushed leaves and young shoots of Paraguayan wiki holly
Many scientists claim that Paraguayan tea is one of the most ancient drinks in the world. Mate tea was used by the Indians in the 7th century BC. e.
This type of tea is different from the usual traditional drinks.
We are used to brewing the leaves of the plant, and this drink is made from the leaves and stems of the Paraguayan holly, an evergreen shrub with a whitish bark, similar to a small tree, which, for use, is not fermented, but very finely ground, sometimes almost into dust.
Therefore, if you do not know how to choose a mate, make sure that small grains are observed in the dry mixture, as confirmation of its naturalness and high quality.
How is mate tea obtained?
The leaves and stems of the tree holly are harvested from large plantations, after harvesting the plant is dried at high temperatures.
The resulting dry branches are crushed into powder, after which it is ready for further use.
An interesting fact: when the leaves are processed, fermentation is not performed, therefore, with a long infusion, the drink acquires a bitter taste.
Brewing tea also requires compliance with special rules. Usually it is prepared not in a cup familiar to us, but in a special vessel called "kalabas" (calabash).
From it they drink this unusual tea through a tube, at the end of which there is a mouthpiece, and on the other side there is a strainer - this is a bombilla.
Calabash, also calabash, calabash, mate - the common name for vessels for drinking hot infusion of Paraguayan holly leaves, better known as mate (yerba mate). Vessels were made by the Indians from the gourd (Lagenaria siceraria).
Mate tea - Chemical composition
The rich chemical composition is the reason for the many beneficial properties of this rare exotic tea. Scientists agreed that this drink combines about 190 components.
The composition of the leaves and stems of the Paraguayan holly is diverse, they contain the following components:
- vitamins A, B, C, E (they improve metabolism, help in the absorption of iron);
- organic acids;
- bioflavonoids (reduce cell oxidation);
- saponins (reduce inflammation);
- tannins (have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect);
- antioxidants (remove free radicals);
- beneficial minerals.
An important distinguishing feature of mate tea
The composition of tea is rich in antioxidants and alkaloids, including matein. It is similar in its properties to caffeine, but acts more gently, without affecting the functioning of the heart and without stimulating the body as a whole.
In addition, the effect of caffeine lasts no more than 3 hours, while mateine tones and refreshes the body for a longer time. The advantage of the drink, along with coffee, is that it does not disturb sleep.
It is also worth noting that mate, unlike coffee, is not addictive.
Healing properties of mate tea
The healing effect of the drink has been known since ancient times, when the Indians used mate as a remedy for various diseases, in particular infectious ones.
However, Paraguayan tea will be more than useful for other diagnoses.
Mate tea has the following effect:
- stimulates the digestive tract;
- relieves spasms;
- improves the immune-protective function of the body;
- promotes the cleansing of blood vessels;
- reduces appetite, improving metabolism;
- helps with depression and mental disorders.
Mate is also very low in calories. There are only 30 calories per 1 liter of finished tea, which allows you to use this healing drink for weight loss.
In addition, this tea allows you to burn fats and carbohydrates in the body, due to the high content of various acids.
It has a mate and diuretic effect, improves metabolic processes in the body and increases energy costs, which allows you to burn excess calories with great intensity.
Mate removes and breaks down fats, and therefore helps to lose weight.
How to brew and drink?
The process of preparing and brewing mate tea should not be done in a hurry.
The utensils for tea in which it is prepared are of great importance. The drink must be brewed only in calabash.
- First, the required amount of dry powder is poured into a small amount of cold water, in which the drink should swell.
- After that, a tube is inserted into the resulting slurry and hot water is added to the vessel, with a temperature of not more than 80 C.
- Drink mate immediately after brewing.
- As soon as the liquid in the tea is over, you can add more water and use this healthy and tasty drink again.
It is worth remembering that if the mate has stood for a while, it can ferment and acquire a bitter and unpleasant taste. This bitterness usually soaks into the walls of the calabash and the tea becomes unusable.
When preparing mate, sugar is usually not added, but its pleasant taste can be supplemented with a little milk or lemon juice.
Mate tea - contraindications for use
A large set of useful active substances certainly plays in favor of this tea.
But today you can find information that low-quality mate tea, if prepared incorrectly, can provoke the development of oncological diseases, which makes you think about its use, and when purchasing a drink, you need to be 100% sure that it does not contain flavors, that when it is collected, it does not used a lot of agrochemicals and defoliants, and it has never been gas-dried.
And mate tea should never be consumed at an infusion temperature above 80C!!!
Mate also has a number of contraindications that must be taken into account.
- has an increased acidity of the stomach;
- suffering from kidney disease;
- prone to the formation of salts in the body.
And also to the contraindications it is worth adding that it is forbidden to drink mate for children and nursing mothers, it is not recommended to use it during pregnancy. For these categories of people, mate is a particular danger.
That's the information, friends!
Do you drink mate tea?
Alena Yasneva was with you, bye everyone!
Mate is a tonic drink made from the leaves of the Paraguayan holly (Ilex paraguariensis). Its use is an integral part of the culture of South America. Known today around the world under the name Mate or Yerba Mate (Spanish. yerba mate, hierba mate), in the 17th century, this drink entered the everyday life of the Spanish colonists under the name Jesuit tea, because representatives of this denomination were actively engaged in its manufacture.
In order to get “Paraguayan tea” from the Paraguayan holly, the young shoots of the plant are dried and ground to a powder consisting of different fractions. Yerba Mate contains vitamin A, B vitamins (B1, B2 predominate), vitamins C, E, P and trace elements. The main active ingredient is mateine (similar to theine and caffeine), a mild stimulant of physical and mental activity.
Yerba mate is a drink that has its own culture of preparation. Mate is drunk in a special way, repeatedly spilling dried yerba leaves with plenty of water and extracting the resulting water extract through a bombing (tubule). Scientifically, this method is called percolation and implies the following sequence of actions.
Pour yerba mate to 3/4 of the volume, close with a lid or palm and shake several times to compact the leaves. Tilt the vessel horizontally and place the bomb jar on the bottom. Return to a vertical position, pour a small amount of hot (60-80°C) water. Let the leaves at the bottom of the vessel soak up the moisture around the holes of the bombing for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add more water, filling the vessel to the level of the leaves, but without covering them.
The resulting aqueous extract, without insisting, immediately drink completely. Pour the next portion of water and also, without insisting, drink. A few minutes later, top up again and drink, repeating a total of up to 15-20 times.
Thus, 75% of useful substances are evenly extracted from yerba leaves, while only 35% are extracted when infused.
With proper preparation, the volume of the vessel plays a role - the larger it is, the more it is required to fill in the leaves of the yerba. What the vessel is made of does not play a role, it can be an ordinary cup. The main thing is to follow all the rules of preparation: having placed the bomb on the bottom of the vessel, do not remove it, do not mix the leaves while drinking and do not let them float in the water.
By following the above sequence of actions, each new portion of water reveals the taste of yerba mate, which varies from rich and strong to soft and dense. The number of toppings depends on the preferences of the drinker. The ceremony can last for a long time, but no more than four hours with one yerba filling.
Video reports about the mat.
Tea mate (mate) - Indian elixir for health and vitality
Mate (mate) became a gastronomic "hit" in Europe ten years ago, but this is not the first round of popularity of an exotic drink. Back in the 17th century, the Spaniards, who arrived in South America, met with a unique brew from the leaves of the Paraguayan holly. However, their interest was rather medical - the amazing mate tea cured scurvy, the scourge of sailors and travelers, better than any known medicine.
As for the taste itself, the European nobility did not appreciate it. For several centuries, magic leaves were sold only in pharmacies; potions and alcohol tinctures were made on their basis to increase immunity and male potency. Many healers suggested drinking mate to people suffering from digestive problems - tea helped relieve spasms, relieved pain, and at the same time increased overall tone.
Mate - tea to combat stress and colds
The use of mate as a medicine is justified by its unusual composition. The drink is rich in vitamins, it contains potassium and magnesium, which are necessary for the functioning of the heart, and iron, which normalizes hemoglobin levels. And also the bark and leaves of the holly contain pantothenic acid - it is extremely important for metabolism, it successfully fights broncho-pulmonary diseases, eczema, polyneuritis.
In the homeland of the South American holly, brewing mate tea is today considered the most important ritual - no less significant than smoking the "peace pipe" from the Indians. In order to organize it according to all the rules, you will need to buy calabash and bombilla - it is with their help that the most popular Latin American drink is prepared.
Calabash is a pumpkin of small size, carefully cleaned of pulp and dried. For strength, a metal rim is usually used along the edge, and the craftsmen can decorate the vessel itself with carved patterns, painting or inlays.
Mate is prepared in a calabash, and the drink is drunk with the help of a bombilla - a special tube. Once upon a time, an ordinary reed stem or a hollow straw was used for this purpose. Gradually, aesthetic perception began to play a more important role - bombillas began to be made from durable and beautiful materials, such as silver.
But the process of "correct" preparation of mate has remained unchanged - today it can be done in exactly the same way as during the first visit of Cortes to the shores of the New World. You will need to buy tea leaves, calabash and bombilla, stock up on a kettle with hot boiled water - and invite friends to share this delicious pleasure.
Tea drinking in South America has always been a crowded event - friends and relatives gathered around the calabash, who kissed the gourd with a tonic drink in turn. This process could last for hours - a leisurely pleasure, reminiscent of meditation, was accompanied by intelligent conversations and the exchange of news.
According to the rules, the bark and leaves poured into the calabash are first only wetted with water - they must swell, prepare for the main process. Boiling water is not used for brewing; it “kills” both the taste of mate and most of its useful qualities. The ideal option is about seventy degrees.
First of all, the bombilla is lowered into the pumpkin, and then (slowly, along the wall) the calabash is filled with hot water. They drink mate slowly, savoring every sip - its use today, like four centuries ago, remains a very unusual pleasure.
Connoisseurs of Paraguayan tea are convinced that no other drink can compare with the Indian elixir of youth and health.
In Paraguay, mate is a popular healthy drink. It is one of the best tonics, it is made on the basis of dry, finely chopped leaves of the Paraguayan holly. Mate must be brewed in a special pumpkin bowl; for ingestion, a special tube with a strainer is used.
Cooking mate
1. Take a calabash (a special container for a drink) and fill it halfway with grass.
2. Where the bowl is empty, pour hot water; in the heat, it is recommended to pour cold water.
3. After the water has already been well absorbed, the tea leaves must be turned into one mass, after which the bombilla is placed to the very bottom.
4. Fill completely with water. Insist 5 minutes.
Please note that if you pour boiling water over mate, it will lose all its beneficial substances, some medical scientists say that it can harm the body, tea often becomes bitter. Water should be no more than 70 degrees.
If you like sweet tea and want to increase the level, you need to pour a small amount of sugar on the bottom of the mate container, honey is more useful, then the grass is poured and everything is filled with water.
Mate must not be infused for a long time, after 3 minutes you can drink tea, otherwise it will be bitter.
Useful properties of mate
The composition of the drink includes vitamins, minerals. Also a large number of vitamins of groups B, C, A, E, R. Rich in mate, sodium, manganese, sulfur.
If you regularly use mate, you can:
1. Protect it from environmental influences.
2. Increase physical endurance.
3. Improve attention, intelligence.
4. Get rid of apathy, fatigue, depression.
5. Resume sexual function.
6. Improve metabolism, with the help of mate, useful substances will be better absorbed.
7. Get rid of, the sleep cycle is restored.
Application of mate
Due to the fact that the drink contains a large number of natural components, with the help of it you can improve the condition of the body. Mate will help to remove toxins and decay products from the body. The drink relieves various allergic reactions, energizes. If tea is drunk by a diabetic, you can protect yourself from high blood sugar levels. With the help of a mat, you can relax after physical exertion. Due to the biological components, mate is used for weight loss, it will help burn a large number of calories.
Mate is especially useful for thought processes, with the help of it you can concentrate memory, attention, encourages, improves mood, resumes metabolic processes, relieves hunger, with it you can slow down the development of a malignant tumor, if you take mate in moderation, in cases of overdose, it can be vice versa aggravate the situation. Mate is the best prophylactic for heart attack, stroke, it improves the digestive process.
Some compare mate to green tea, the effect on the body is the same, but mate has more beneficial chemicals than. Due to the fact that the products are carefully processed, this is the best antioxidant agent, it contains a large amount of polyphenol
Mate is considered a safe drink, because it does not increase blood pressure, and there is no negative effect on the heart area. Mate energizes the body, but does it very carefully.
It has been proven that with the help of a drink you can prolong youth, strengthen cells that are damaged, and prevent various diseases from developing. For the decoction to be effective, you need to be able to properly prepare the decoction. Take a small amount of grass and mate leaves, pour half a liter of water, in no case boiling water.
It is advised to drink tea after playing sports, with the help of it you can renew energy reserves, there is a large amount of matein in the mat. It acts the same way as caffeine, tones the body. Caffeine and mateine differ in that the latter does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, does not speed up the heartbeat. This is the best prophylactic of ARVI, influenza.
Mate contraindications
It has been proven that if you often get carried away with mate, cancer of the esophagus, lung and urinary system can develop. It is important to brew the drink correctly and not get carried away with it, then you can avoid disastrous consequences.
In no case should you use mate in case of an infectious disease in the lungs, bronchi, because it contains theophylline. Children are prohibited. Tea is contraindicated in stomach ulcers. With gastritis with high acidity, you can not drink hot tea.
Those who have hypertension should be careful with the mat, it leads to disorders of the nervous system. When the brain is strongly excited, the vessels begin to narrow, and this is dangerous for human life.
You can not drink tea at night, it tones the body. You can not use it at high temperatures, because of it, blood vessels expand, sweat may increase, severe thirst will begin to disturb. Because of the theophylline, which is part of mate, the body temperature may rise even more, and antipyretic in this situation will not help.
Thus, mate is a tasty and healthy drink, but, despite all its positive aspects, it should not be abused in order to avoid disastrous consequences. It is dangerous that the use of tea in large quantities leads to the formation of a malignant tumor.
Mate tea can be called the most exotic tea for our country. It belongs to ethnic teas, along with Brazilian catuaba tea, Argentine lapacho, African rooibos. You can read a lot of conflicting reviews about mate tea, which are dictated by the unusual properties of the drink. So what can be expected from mate tea, harm or benefit?
The indigenous people of Latin America shrouded this tea in numerous legends, believing that tea has magical properties. Mate can cause an unusual surge of strength and vigor, satisfy hunger and thirst. In the 16th century, missionaries bought raw materials of unusual tea for next to nothing. Sending it to Europe, they decently earned. Mate tea was drunk by sailors, during long sea voyages, he saved them from severe fever and scurvy. He supported and invigorated travelers during their journeys through the rainforests.
For some time, tea was undeservedly forgotten. But in the 19th century, the plant Illex Paraguariensis was discovered. It began to be cultivated in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay. From the crushed shoots and leaves, they began to make mate tea, which was produced on an industrial scale. On the South American continent, he immediately became extremely popular.
Then the tea ceremony was invented using special dishes for mate: bombilla and calabash. The calabash was a pumpkin container, and the bombilla was a reed tube.
What is mate tea made from?
The raw materials for the manufacture of mate tea are the shoots and leaves of the Paraguayan holly. The plant is found in the wild and is also cultivated on plantations. Holly can reach a height of 15 meters. Has toothed leaves, small greenish-white flowers.
Collectors take the branches of the plant, pluck the leaves from them. The material is thoroughly dried. After that, the shoots, the leaves are crushed to a powder state. Good quality tea can be identified by the following parameters: the presence of dust, broken pieces of leaves and small remnants of the stem is mandatory.
The chemical composition of mate tea
Holly leaves contain more than 190 different components. This discovery was made by scientists from the Pasteur Institute. Among the elements contained in tea, the following can be distinguished:
- organic acids (isobutyric, isocaproic, isovaleric, resinous);
- vitamins (nicotinic acid, A, B, C, E);
- bioflavonoids (quercetin, rutin);
- tannins (tannin);
- saponins (beta-amirin);
- macro- and microelements (manganese, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron).
Compared to classic green tea, mate contains more antioxidants and alkaloids. Experts note that green tea contains caffeine, and mate contains mateine. It is similar in its action to caffeine, but its effect on the human body is more gentle and gentle. Matein does not cause an increase in heart rate, overexcitation. The invigorating effect of caffeine lasts about three hours, and mateine invigorates several times longer. An important advantage of mate is that it does not cause sleep disturbances.
Health benefits of mate tea
Since ancient times, the Indians used a drink from holly to treat infectious diseases. Currently, for many diseases, mate tea is recommended, the benefits of which have been proven by scientists.
- Stimulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Has a diuretic effect.
- Has antispasmodic properties.
- Improves vascular permeability.
- Accelerates metabolism.
- Reduces appetite.
- Improves the work of the heart.
- Helps to cope with depression.
Contraindications and harm of mate tea
Through research, scientists were convinced not only of the beneficial properties of tea, but also found that it can be harmful. People who have used mate in large quantities for many years have been examined. A relationship has been found between the occurrence of certain types of cancer and tea intake. The scientists concluded that heavy consumption of tea, combined with active smoking of tobacco and the intake of alcoholic beverages, becomes a catalyst for tumor growth.
Statistics showed that the cause of oral cancer was that people drank tea too hot. Calabash, from which the drink is drunk, retains a high temperature for too long. This circumstance led to the occurrence of diseases of the bladder.
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonates) have been found in tea. Their combination with alcohol, tobacco, fried meat creates favorable conditions for the development of tumors. It is not recommended to drink a large amount of hot drink, especially while drinking alcohol and during a feast. If you follow these rules, use Paraguayan tea no more than two or three times a week, tea will only benefit.
How to make mate tea
There are some subtleties of brewing this tea. Brew it in the original container. It is called calabash, calabash. Previously, calabash was made from pumpkin, now it is made from stainless materials, wood, and plastic. They differ in volume. There are large volumes of calabash for large companies, there are small ones designed for a single enjoyment of a drink.
Mate connoisseurs, after acquiring calabash, prepare it for further use. Pour the tea mixture into the calabash, pour 2/3 of the volume with high-temperature water. The vessel is left for a day without closing it with a lid. After that, the mixture is poured out, and the calabash is cleaned with a damp cloth.
A person who makes tea is called a sevador. The art of cooking is sevar. You can not rush when brewing a drink. The tea leaves are poured into calabash, poured with cold water, left for a while so that the tea leaves swell. Then a tube (bombilla) is inserted into the middle. On one side of this tube is a strainer, on the other - a mouthpiece. The tube is made of metal, before it was made of bamboo. Hot water is added to the container. After two minutes, you can enjoy the original taste of the drink. Tea can be brewed again.
How to drink mate
For the inhabitants of South America, the process of tea drinking is a sacrament. It lasts almost two hours, usually takes place in a large friendly company, in a warm atmosphere. Mate tea is drunk in small sips, the liquid is drawn out through a tube from the very thick. The tea must not be allowed to ferment in the vessel. Otherwise, bitterness is formed, the drink will become harmful. In tea rarely, but add ice, milk, sugar. It is believed that tea will fully open only after the fourth addition of hot water.
With daily use of the drink, calabash is enough to rinse after use, store in a wet state. With rare use, calabash and bombilla should be thoroughly washed, turned over so that the water is glass.
