Tea mate
The name of mate itself goes back to the word “mati” -
this is how South American tribe Guarani named the pumpkin (Lagenaria
vulgaris) that is usually used as a capacity for seal and drinking
mate. Tribe Guarani traditionally uses mate for taking down mental
and physical tiredness after heavy duties, for curing fever and cold,
which cause high temperature. Mate is method of longevity and also
a basic product that guaranties the survival. Mate is a good antidepressant
- raises your mood and activity, but makes it softly, in the same
time cures the sleeplessness, anxiety and nervousness.
On its appearance tea mate is similar to green tea, it is transparent
light-green extract with “herbal” flavor. People that
like usual tea will take mate as tasteless, but during drinking this
tea the flavor pleasantly changes. In Latin countries people like
this moment most of all – discovering the taste of the mate
tea. It begins with light herbal taste in the beginning of the tea
ceremony and goes on to real bitterness and acerbity, which reminds
green tea of good quality in the end of the tea ceremony.
People choose mate tea not only because it is nourished with vitamins
and minerals, but also it is a good substitution for coffee. Cup of
mate has more value and provides more cost effective then all energy
drinks. Mate consists of mostly all vitamins and microelements. It
is the essence, tar and tannin, fruit sugar (fructose, pentose etc.),
vegetable fat and other substances that give specific characteristics
of mate as a beverage.
Usually "mate tea", is sold in teabag and loose form,
and served, sweetened, in specialized shops, either hot or iced
with fruit juice or milk. An iced, sweetened version of toasted
mate is sold as an uncarbonated soft drink, with or without fruit
flavoring.
There are several methods of brewing the mate tea:
Cha de mate – mate that can be prepared similar to coffee
or cocoa. In brewing water put dry tea 50 grams to 1 liter of water.
It should brew no more than one or two minutes, than take from the
heat and pour it through tea-strainer (because the rest of the mate
stays on the surface) and pour in cups. Drink Cha de mate with sugar.
Dolce mate – mate is made with sugar and honey. You can put
sugar at the same time with dry tea in the teapot (or put the teaspoon
of honey on the bottom) and than add hot water, the other way -
to pour the mate with prepared sweetened water.
Terere – is made as classic bitter mate, but poured with cold
water and draw a bit longer (about an hour). In cold mate (terere)
you can add ice, sugar, orange or limon juice, mint leafs and so
on.
There is also the technology of brewing bitter mate (Cimarron) or
real mate. You can brew the Cimarron not only with brewing water
but also with hot milk, or water with milk. Such “milky mate”
is recommended to drink before going to bed, to soft its stimulating
effect.
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