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= Questions and Answers =

This is a place to discuss and answer general questions about Yerba Mate and everything that comes with it.

0. How to make the best mate? The best mate depends on personal choice. Meta Mate experience shows that wild and fresh mate in powdery form is the best for us. To prepair it in the best way follow the instructions in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5WTHKQPbnY

If it is to complicated or uses to much erva, there is an economical and fool-proof way, if perfected one can make it in 11 seconds. Check it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY_VNsHWJ_s

1. Why does some Yerba cause an upset stomach?

Fabricio used to experience this problem, he could not drink Mate on an empty stomache because after a few 'cuias' he would experience stomache cramps and heartburn. However, after switching to traditionally produced barbaqua Mate that was produced by a friend of his (this eventually became Meta Mate), he discovered that he did not have this problem anymore. We later learned from a doctor and authority on Gaucho culture that due to lack of direct contact with fire, many industrially-dried Mates do not undergo a proper Sapeco process. This is vital in removing certain 'toxins' from the Mate that often cause heartburn.

1.1 So it is important that Mate has direct contact with fire? So what about Yerbas which are not even dried over a fire, like Kraus or Barao Nativa?

That is what we learnded from Dr.Ari, who wrote the Book “Who is the Gaucho”. The Meta Mate experience shows that by hand sapeco one can ensure to explode the whole surface of the leaves (we can post pictures with examples of good and bad sapeco, for the moment this video showing the hand work http://youtu.be/IPB50r1yr-Q .

Industrial Sapeco as much as we seen do not do it, since the leaves “fly” very distant from the fire. One important thing is by the sapeco one gives the taste to the erva, just like by coffee it happens when rosting. So industrial yerba has a fix character, while the hand sapeco can get a personal note. After that the drying in aromatic wood can also make a big diference. We carry mate dryied with guabiroba and now Orange tree wood that are from the finest kinds.

Main thing on Barao or Kraus is that those are industrial, and so use diferent sources. Like Barao Nativa is different from Barao Premium, because the forests used are different. Barao Premium comes from the Pinhao area, known as for best Forest Erva in Parana. The Kraus I belive is stored plantated erva, that probably do not include any of the big leaves with tender taste, that by the way have a much higher AOC (anty oxidant capacity) than conventional leaves. So its not only the sapeco, but also the origen of the erva as well if it is sotored or not that would make a difference.

2. I heard that it is quiet differen to drink powdery Mate than drinking the standard Argentine cut. Can I drink powdery Mate with my regular Bombilla? Are there any special treatments necessary to prevent the bombilla from getting locked?

Yes you can, but is difficult to make. Even with a proper Brazilian it might happen that it clogs. For avoiding it we recommend to start using the “camisinha = condom”, it is a new development, specially welcomen by people who do not want to “eat” the powder together. A video about how to put the “camisinha” is here http://youtu.be/5SWaZpV31I0

The best way to prevent the bombilla from getting locked is to use an alternative preparation different from the argentinean way. here is an economical and fool-proof way in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY_VNsHWJ_s.

3.Anyone ever had roasted yerbe mate? https://www.facebook.com/groups/circleofdrink/587212424675964/?comment_id=587222168008323&notif_t=group_comment_reply

Like · · Unfollow Post · October 1 at 6:37pm near Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

	
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barbacua or something like that? It tastes like chicory coffe (kinda)
October 1 at 6:40pm · Like





	
	
	



Fabricio Krithika Do Canto Dear Tom Culley, sure we had and we roast ourselves im Berlin. We can ship or explain you how to DIY. Easy to do. Recommended with Milk as it is done in Rio de Janeiro. David Kevin Skowron it has nothing to do with the smoked Barbacua. In fact it was created in London end of 19th century by black tea drinkers as a cheaper alternative as tea was getting to expensive. It is a nice examples how a product was created first by users and than taken over by the industry.
October 1 at 7:05pm via mobile · Like

4. Is it bad if I let my yerba sit in my wooden gourd after I finished drinking until I get home later to be able to clean it out ?

	
	



Tony Baker I unintentionally do that all the time. The worse is when I leave it at work over the weekend and then clean it on Monday. I use a strong metal scrubby called a "Chore Boy Stainless Steel Scrubber", cleans a wooden gourd very well. Highly recommend it!
	
	http://choreboyscrubbers.com/...
September 24 at 8:00pm · Like





	





Fabricio Krithika Do Canto all fine if it is not that hot over there, otherwise it might mold… in that case, put it in the refrigerator in that case…you might like to drink a last mate out of it when coming back home, but be careful to wait for some minutes after taking out of the refrigerator before serving with hot water other wise the temperature chock might crack the goard!

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