Saw this today, and for those new to the Mateada experience or just looking for the basics, this is a great resource. Check out yerbamatedrinker.com, it has information about what is yerba, to gauchos. For those of you looking to introduce your friends to mate, this would be a great resource!
Saludos,
El Nacho
Thursday, April 12, 2012
EcoTeas Green Energy Yerba Mate Review
Over the weekend, we were in a pinch for yerba as we ran out. As the Argentine store we usually go to was closed, we tried Whole Foods. We were pleasantly surprised by the EcoTea brand we found. As you saw in one of the prior reviews, we tried Guayaki but found it's flavor polarizing and not up to par. EcoTea on the other is definitely a brand worth trying. Is it the best yerba in the world, no - but it is a suitable emergency replacement or a nice alternative for an organic Mateada - absolutely!
It is finer than most yerbas, which you will notice right away. The texture and aroma is up to par. The taste is a tad bit on the smokey side, definitely an organic taste, which I would attribute to a bit of a grassy flavor. It has a subtle hint of a lemongrass flavor, which makes it fairly unique. The flavor lasts, which is what impressed me the most. I had anticipate an organic yerba to lose its flavor quickly, as well as have a lighter taste. However, this was certainly not the case. Although after reading more about the brand, I understand why it still has such a good yerba taste - the yerba comes from Argentina!
The only serious drawback I could find is the price at $8 for about 454 grams or 16 oz, it is a bit pricey as I can get an outstanding Argentina/Paraguayan yerba at 1 kilo or 2.2lbs for $6.
For more information, go to http://www.yerbamate.com/
Saludos,
El Nacho
It is finer than most yerbas, which you will notice right away. The texture and aroma is up to par. The taste is a tad bit on the smokey side, definitely an organic taste, which I would attribute to a bit of a grassy flavor. It has a subtle hint of a lemongrass flavor, which makes it fairly unique. The flavor lasts, which is what impressed me the most. I had anticipate an organic yerba to lose its flavor quickly, as well as have a lighter taste. However, this was certainly not the case. Although after reading more about the brand, I understand why it still has such a good yerba taste - the yerba comes from Argentina!
The only serious drawback I could find is the price at $8 for about 454 grams or 16 oz, it is a bit pricey as I can get an outstanding Argentina/Paraguayan yerba at 1 kilo or 2.2lbs for $6.
For more information, go to http://www.yerbamate.com/
Saludos,
El Nacho
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Gourds, often an overlooked but critical part of the mate experience
Gourds will have an effect on the taste of the yerba and the overall experience. You can select a traditional round gourd, or there are other options as well. This would include wood, plastic or bone. There are positives and negatives to each, although the more traditional gourd would be the round gourd as pictured below:
This type of traditional calabaza gourd takes a couple days to cure (which is basically pouring the yerba into it and then adding hot water over the course of two days). The advantages are it allows for a pure yerba taste, meaning the gourd will not transfer any taste properties to the yerba thereby allowing you to experience the real taste of the yerba. These also come in the most styles and generally look nice. The disadvantage comes in that if you do not clean and take care of the gourd it will emit a bad taste and poorly affect your mate experience.
The wood gourd does not require any curing but also does not really add anything to the experience, as it leaves the yerba tasting a bit flatter, not really bringing out the true yerba taste as the traditional gourd. Below is a picture of a basic type of wood gourd:
The bone gourd as picture in the main blog page, is a non-traditional type of gourd. This type of gourd will add a sweeter taste to your yerba, so depending on how you drink it, you may prefer this type of gourd. It is unusual in drinking tea from a bone gourd but the taste is worth it, as I usually add a bit of sugar or honey this is a nice addition to the mate experience.
The plastic gourd is basically for mate on the go, I usually use Taragui's Mate Listo when on long car trips as it comes with the plastic gourd and straw, as well as a packet of sugar and the gourd prefilled with Taragui's traditional yerba. Not a good option for everyday use, but for a drive or a day at the beach.....this is a great option.
This should provide you a good overview of the different types of gourds and the effect they have on your mateada.....as always though feel free to send me an email with any questions.
El Nacho
This type of traditional calabaza gourd takes a couple days to cure (which is basically pouring the yerba into it and then adding hot water over the course of two days). The advantages are it allows for a pure yerba taste, meaning the gourd will not transfer any taste properties to the yerba thereby allowing you to experience the real taste of the yerba. These also come in the most styles and generally look nice. The disadvantage comes in that if you do not clean and take care of the gourd it will emit a bad taste and poorly affect your mate experience.
The wood gourd does not require any curing but also does not really add anything to the experience, as it leaves the yerba tasting a bit flatter, not really bringing out the true yerba taste as the traditional gourd. Below is a picture of a basic type of wood gourd:
The bone gourd as picture in the main blog page, is a non-traditional type of gourd. This type of gourd will add a sweeter taste to your yerba, so depending on how you drink it, you may prefer this type of gourd. It is unusual in drinking tea from a bone gourd but the taste is worth it, as I usually add a bit of sugar or honey this is a nice addition to the mate experience.
The plastic gourd is basically for mate on the go, I usually use Taragui's Mate Listo when on long car trips as it comes with the plastic gourd and straw, as well as a packet of sugar and the gourd prefilled with Taragui's traditional yerba. Not a good option for everyday use, but for a drive or a day at the beach.....this is a great option.
This should provide you a good overview of the different types of gourds and the effect they have on your mateada.....as always though feel free to send me an email with any questions.
El Nacho
Monday, February 13, 2012
Guayaki - great mission, sub-par yerba experience
Guayaki is a newer player in the yerba market, having been started by a few years ago, and sold primarily in the US (made with Argentine yerba). Their mission is certainly noble in terms of sustainability, giving back to the community and fair trade investments - there is no doubt that they are trying to do some very positive things for the yerba growers and environment.
However, as this is a review of yerbas, I have to say for the price that one pays, the experience is sub-optimal. It has an extremely bitter taste and can be described as almost abrasive, especially when comparing to the majority of Argentine brands on the market. The after taste is also poor, where most yerbas leave a green tea type after taste (a bit earthy) this yerba leaves a strong after taste that is hard to get rid off. To down this yerba, much sugar/honey was required on our part.
This is a yerba better suited for a tea bag, vs a traditional mateada. That being said, I would love to know if others agree with my assessment, as each yerba experience is different for different people.
Lastly, it is also quite an expensive yerba. One could buy an imported yerba brand from Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay for cheaper on line, even with shipping/taxes included. As a company they are great, but in my opinion, their yerba does not live up to the expectations.
However, as this is a review of yerbas, I have to say for the price that one pays, the experience is sub-optimal. It has an extremely bitter taste and can be described as almost abrasive, especially when comparing to the majority of Argentine brands on the market. The after taste is also poor, where most yerbas leave a green tea type after taste (a bit earthy) this yerba leaves a strong after taste that is hard to get rid off. To down this yerba, much sugar/honey was required on our part.
This is a yerba better suited for a tea bag, vs a traditional mateada. That being said, I would love to know if others agree with my assessment, as each yerba experience is different for different people.
Lastly, it is also quite an expensive yerba. One could buy an imported yerba brand from Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay for cheaper on line, even with shipping/taxes included. As a company they are great, but in my opinion, their yerba does not live up to the expectations.
Taragui - the Original
Taragui is produced by Las Marias, one of the oldest and most famous producers of Yerba in Argentina. Taragui is a classic, if you have ever tried Mate, most likely this is one of the first yerba's you would have tried. It has a true yerba taste, yet can be a bit strong for unaccustomed mate drinkers. Taragui also has a bit more energy behind it, some people have noticed more of an energy kick vs other traditional yerba's like Union (personally, I do not notice this but just wanted to let you know).
The flavor is smooth, a bit earthy and just an all around good yerba. There are not too many stems in the original and does not clog the bombilla easy. If you are looking for a nice, traditional yerba as an entry point, then you could do no wrong with Taragui.
The flavor is smooth, a bit earthy and just an all around good yerba. There are not too many stems in the original and does not clog the bombilla easy. If you are looking for a nice, traditional yerba as an entry point, then you could do no wrong with Taragui.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Shade Tree Maté | A Yerba Maté Blog
Shade Tree Maté A Yerba Maté Blog - check out this blog, really interesting and great read on how yerba is processed.
Cruz de Malta Seleccion Especial
As two words described Amanda Traditional, one word would describe Cruz Malta's Seleccion Especial - smooth. Normally I am not a big fan of Cruz Malta, but they have hit the mark with their Especial Yerba. It is smooth as silk. Much like the Amanda, pours nicely without a lot of dust and a pleasant aroma. In this case, their packaging has a nice side dispense feature, kind of cool and different. The yerba has a very smooth taste from beginning to end, nice flavor without any bitterness - even after the yerba needs to be changed out. It has a natural taste, a nice flavor of pure yerba and does not clog the bombilla easily, due to its nice blend of stems and leaves. The best part of this yerba is that the taste lasts a long time and does not hit you right away. It takes a second for the flavor to come alive, which is a great mouth feel and taste. At the end, even after the yerba has been worked through, it still has a smooth, albeit not as strong flavor. This is one of my favorite yerbas as it has the right flavor combination for a fine mateada experience. Just add the right mate, water and a circle of good friends/family and with Cruz Malta Seleccion Especial, you can't go wrong. Disfruten mis amigos!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Welcome to Mateada!
I have created Mateada to review Yerbas from Argentina and help you select the right one for you. I also want to help people have a better mate experience, so if you have any questions please send them my way. To enjoying a nice mateada with friends and family - I wish you the best!
Amada Traditional Yerba Review
Amanda Yerba Traditional can be summed up in a couple words - just right. One can tell this right away as the yerba pours into the mate, there is a subtle aroma of natural yerba. The leaves are an earthy green and just the right size, not to small, not to large. When pouring water onto the leaves, it does not take long before the mateada is ready. From the first sip, it is clear that this is a smooth yerba. Not too strong of a flavor, not too light, just a really nice yerba with a natural taste to it. It combines well with sugar or honey to add a bit of sweetness if so desired. Personally I like to add about a 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar which brings out a slightly different flavor.
This yerba can be enjoyed anytime of day, morning as a nice wake up or evenings as a wind me down. As the flavor is smooth, it provides almost calming effect which can be atypical for a yerba.
With Amanda, one can never go wrong and it is very reasonably priced. For more information on Amanda, visit http://www.yerbamanda.com.ar/en/index.php Also Amanda Mate can be found on most internet stores that sell mate like yerbamatebiz.com or amigofoods.com.
Note: The mateada blog does not have any affliation with either store, these are just merely suggestions and where I have found Amanda in the past.
Enjoy and Saludos,
El Nacho
This yerba can be enjoyed anytime of day, morning as a nice wake up or evenings as a wind me down. As the flavor is smooth, it provides almost calming effect which can be atypical for a yerba.
With Amanda, one can never go wrong and it is very reasonably priced. For more information on Amanda, visit http://www.yerbamanda.com.ar/en/index.php Also Amanda Mate can be found on most internet stores that sell mate like yerbamatebiz.com or amigofoods.com.
Note: The mateada blog does not have any affliation with either store, these are just merely suggestions and where I have found Amanda in the past.
Enjoy and Saludos,
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