Customer Reviews

Traditional Yerba Mate Loose Tea

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There is no better Yerba Mate on the market. I have tried hundreds of brands and the quality just does not compare to Guayaki. I really like how they include stems with leaf. Mate is meant to be drunk this way and the stems add a significant amount of theophylline and theobromine and also add to the sweet and nutty flavor notes not found in other Mate's. I also appreciate that Guayaki uses only shade grown Mate - as it is meant to be. Sun grown mate lacks body and benefits.

I really like the companies sustainable business model. The company is true blue when it comes to their mission. Fairly traded products that allow the indigenous people to receive a fair wage for their work. Guayaki's reforestation efforts should be applauded.

Thank you for making such a fine product.

Mate is actually not tea but a tea-like beverage originating from Argentina and Uruguay, and primarily consumed in those countries as well as in Paraguay and southern Brazil; brewed from the dried leaves and stemlets of the perennial Yerba Mate tree. Its name derives from the quichua word "mati" designating the gourd in which it is traditionally served. On average, 300,000 tons of Mate are produced each year.

In its consistency similar to green tea, mate has a distinctive, full, bittersweet flavor with a note of alfalfa, resembling that of tea but milder. Of the 196 volatile chemical compounds contained in Yerba Mate, 144 are also contained in tea. Knowing its manifold health benefits - among the plant's ingredients are the alkaloids xanthine, theophylline and theobromine as well as vitamins C, E, several B vitamins and numerous minerals - the South American Guarani Indians have traditionally used the plant for medicinal purposes, inter alia as a stimulant to the central nervous system, to promote mental, physical and cardiovascular activity, enhance resistance to fatigue, reduce fever, mitigate thirst and hunger, decrease blood pressure, and as a diuretic, laxative, purgative, sudorific, and antirheumatic.

Legend has it that knowledge of the infusion's powers was first imparted to a young Guarani woman and her father by a mysterious shaman, rewarding the woman's faithfulness in staying with her exhausted father while her tribe continued their search for arable land. In recent years, mate has become a cultural phenomenon throughout large parts of South America, and it is now gaining increased popularity in Northern America and Europe as well. In South America, sharing mate from the same container and the same straw (bombilla) is a symbol of closeness and friendship, both in a family and in other social contexts.

The tea I recived is about 50% woodie stuff (little sticks) and 50% green stuff.
The shipping was nearly the same price as the Tea, so I ended up paying $15.70 for 1/2 pound of Yerba Mate!!

After recieving the order, I got smart and googled Yerba Mate, and found lots of sites that offer a lot more tea for a lot less money, like $3.00/lb instead of the $30.00/lb that I paid. Also, some sites that offer genuine Argentinean brands, I think I'll try them next.

If you are a traditional Yerba maté afficionado that uses a bombilla (filtered straw), this stuff is completely undrinkable. The maté has been pulverized rather than cut and subsequently blocks the filter and clogs the bombilla. This creates two problems: First, you get precious little tea passing through and secondly, you must spend a good deal of time cleaning the bombilla out before it will be an efficient filter again.

Incidentally, unbiased research shows that drinking the loose tea with a bombilla delivers much higher levels of polyphenol antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Lastly, I have been drinking Yerba maté for 22 years and there are plenty of other brands that have better flavor.

Guayaki's Yerba Mate is a naturally caffeinated elixir from the rainforest. One could call it an Argentinian Breakfast Tea,an Earl Grey of the Amazon. It has a smoky flavor. Guayaki contributes to rainforest preservation,adding a noble cause to their delicious tea. Yerba Mate is a perfect accompaniment to any meal, especially breakfast. Guayaki's rainforest-themed cafe in Sebastopol is a comforting getaway,complete with a comforting,energizing tea. Enjoy a cuppa of yerba mate!

It is a good mate, great taste. However, it is not strong enough if you use it based on recommendations listed on the bag.

Everything about this tea it's sooooo true!!!! After just the 1st day, I feel well, energize, clarity of mind and I start having good night of sleep. If it wasn't so expensive, I could use it for the rest of my life...

I really like the flavor of this tea. It actually makes me feel better. During the afternoon, this provides the perfect pick me up. It gives me energy. You can actually feel the medicinal properties in it. Enough said.

with my purchase of the tea I was not impressed very much , as I did try other teas of yerba mate and this one doesn't have any different taste as the others even it's says organic , i think for the 1/2 lb the price is little expensive , I bought 1 lb for a half price .