Yerba Maté Espresso … Not Bad.
15 Apr 2009 Leave a Comment
in Food Tags: Drink, Espresso, review, stovetop, Yerba Mate
So, I’ve had this 1kg bag of yerba maté, for at least 3 years…. Bought on the cheap in the not-as-nice area of town. It’s been sitting in my cupboard because I find it has a bitter quality to it that I’m not overly enthused about.
For those of you not in the know, Yerba Maté is an energizing tea (supposedly not caffeine, but some other stimulant) made from the twigs and leaves (yeah, twigs – sounds appetizing, doesn’t it) of the yerba mate shrub. It is traditionally served by pouring hot water (not boiling) over leaves that have been placed in a gourd. It is then sipped through a type of metal straw. The gourd is refilled with water as the tea is drunk.
The straw is hollow (obviously) with a sieve-like end (or other design) placed into the maté. It is made in such a way as to act as a filter for the maté leaves.
You don’t need a straw or a gourd to enjoy it. Just use whatever you use for loose tea leaves (tea ball, french press, just loose…). My maté came with large and very fine particles. I had recently enjoyed Roobios Espresso (more on that in another post), and figured I could use the same technique for maté.
Now, I’ve only got the little stove-top espresso pot. I put in a few scoops of the maté, leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion of the leaves. I placed my pot on stove and proceeded as normal. The first shot was nice and strong. I subsequently refilled the water reservoir of my pot and made a couple of other shots with the same leaves. The next couple of shots were, understandably, weaker but still good.
Give it a shot, you might enjoy it!
