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Mate is prepared by steeping yerba mate leaves in hot water. But you're probably wondering, how long does it take to steep mate ?
We explain how long to infuse your mate depending on your preparation method.
Before brewing your mate, you need to heat some water. Beware of a very common mistake: boiling water .
Never make a hot drink with water that is too hot, as this burns the leaves and increases the risk of health problems (research shows that drinking water that is too hot increases the risk of throat and esophageal cancer ).
So, for mate, the ideal is to use simmering water, around 70-80°C. Hot water, but not boiling.
Mate is a drink that has the unique feature of being able to be prepared in several ways. Each method requires a different infusion time.
The traditional preparation of mate consists of drinking the mate using a mate straw in a calabash .
For more details: Tutorial on traditional mate preparation
Traditionally, yerba mate leaves are used extensively. The drink brews very quickly. You can drink mate after just 30 seconds to 1 minute of infusion .
"Gringo style" or "cocido mate" simply consists of preparing your mate without a gourd , and infusing it like tea or any other classic infusion.
For this, you can use a teapot, a tea ball or even a mate infuser.
For this type of preparation, we recommend an infusion time of 3 to 5 minutes . You can of course let it infuse longer for a stronger taste, or less time for a lighter flavor.
Perfect for summer, mate can be prepared as iced mate. This drink is called tereré .
Iced mate is usually prepared using a mate infuser .
To prepare iced mate, you can either brew it cold or brew it hot and then cool it. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
