While most of the local population in South Brasil enjoys Mate in the traditional way (a.k.a. Chimarrao – fresh green herb with a cuia and bomba), there are several alternative culinary usages of mate that are integrated into the local diet. From school meals to ration feed, a certain percentage of mate consumption per week is highly recommended by local nutritionists due to its beneficial health properties.
While travelling across the region we did we did come across many creative uses of Mate and mate makers whom we encountered shared their passion for consuming their favourite drink in alternative ways.
On Hot summer days, the family Gehm enjoys a refreshing Mate juice using fresh mate leaves, lime and mint (all collected from their property)
1. Place 7-10 mate leaves in a blender with 1 litre of water and 1 sliced lime
2. Blend the contents together with sweetner of choice and strain
3. Serve with Ice. According to Salete Gehm, the colder this mate is the better it tastes.
Sergio Picolo enjoys a cup of roasted mate after dinner every evening (Try this recipe with 42)
1. Use 2-3 Tbs Roasted Mate for 1 cup and fill with boiling Water
2. Allow to steep for 2-3 Minutes (use a french press or filter)
3. Strain and serve, sweetening is not necessary for this drink.
While spending the night at a hotel in the mate growing region, we were delighted to see how mate was integrated as an ingredient in certain dishes from breakfast to desert.
Icecream with Mate was definately a highlight after lunch.
It was hard for us to resist trying our hand at some of our own special mate creations. Meta Mate Raw is ideal for cullinary purposes, as this is a pure leaf mixture (without stems) and the low temperature drying ensures that all of the vitamins and minerals are preserved in this mate. In addition, the demeter certifications ensures that this mate is as pure as it gets.
It is true that the only Green you will see in a Gaucho diet is mate….
Sprinkling some Mate on your salad and soup enhances Vegan cuisine in the region.
Naturally, coming from Berlin we were curious to try the local drinks that were inspired by the bottled brauses and beers that we knew from back home. After a couple of bottles of Baer Mate (Brause) and Axt Erva Mate APA, we came to the conclusion that it is best to appreciate local culture when travelling far away from home.