Yerba Mate: Your Best Friend during Quarantine
Modern lifestyle has changed dramatically after COVID19’s preventive measures, such as lockdown and quarantine, have been adopted around the World. Our daily routine has been limited to the perimeter of our own home, including activities like entertainment, education, and even home office, as some continue to work from home. In the midst of these extraordinary circumstances, Yerba Mate (taken individually) may be your perfect ally.
The Power of the Jungle
Yerba Mate provides the energy you need for your day-to-day and its caffeine content acts on the mind and body more gradually than other stimulating drinks such as coffee or tea, whose energizing effect is short-lived and may be excessive, even generating nervousness and tachycardia. Also, thanks to Yerba Mate’s special preparation and drinking (sip by sip), this energizing effect is well dosed and lasts longer. This is ideal to cheer up an entire morning or afternoon at home during quarantine.
As Taragüi always claims: Mate has an energizing power. This is a 100% natural drink that does not contain sugar or chemicals and comes directly from the yerba mate tree. Yerba Mate is much healthier than commercial energy drinks, as its energy effect comes from nature itself and not from an artificial process.
Benefits of drinking Mate in quarantine
Yerba Mate is full of health benefits, necessary to maintain your well-being both during quarantine and after, when you will need to be completely ready to face the outside world again. What are the benefits of drinking mate?
- It provides large amounts of antioxidants, essential vitamins, minerals and more than ten types of amino acids.
- It is the perfect company during quarantine because you can drink it all day.
- It is a natural antidepressant and has a positive effect on mental health.
- It improves the body’s natural defenses.
- It promotes cardiovascular health.
- It stimulates the central nervous system during any physical or intellectual activity.
- It helps the body to remove toxins and purify itself naturally.
- It’s a good digestive.
“He who drinks Yerba Mate, is never alone”
In Argentina, 50% of mate consumers drink it individually at least once a day. In times of isolation and social distancing, Yerba Mate can become that perfect friend that puts us in a good mood and keeps us feeling accompanied all day, especially if we have to study, work or perform tasks that require dedication and attention (Yerba Mate helps concentration and focus).
How to prepare the perfect Mate Tea?
- To prepare a perfect mate tea and obtain a foamy, long-lasting and delicious drink, first you need an appropriate Mate Kit which includes: an appropriate mate gourd (hollow container with a small base and a wide mouth), a “bombilla“ or special straw for drinking mate, and high quality Yerba Mate to ensure the perfect taste, texture and aroma (you should always check its source and origin; for example Taragüi Yerba Mate is packaged in its place of origin).
- Fill the ¾ parts of the mate gourd with Yerba, cover with your hand and shake it gently to mix evenly.
- See that the yerba is leaning to one side of the gourd, and pour a little bit of warm water at the bottom.
- Insert the bombilla on that same side, and fix it there by pressing against the inner wall.
- Finally, pour water at 75° C, little by little, on the same side of the bombilla.
Yerba Mate in quarantine
Drinking Yerba Mate is an ancient tradition, deeply rooted in countries like Uruguay and Argentina alongside soccer and barbecues. Although in South America, Yerba Mate is traditionally shared with a group (including the same mate gourd and bombilla), right now we need to reinvent the way we drink mate. You can still drink Yerba Mate with family or your roommates, but each one should have their own mate gourd and bombilla. You can still share the warm water! And if you miss the whole mate ritual, you can even share “unos matecitos” online with a group call and socialize virtually. Your health is the most important thing!
