Although Yerba Mate is not really a tea it is often mentioned in the same breath as tea and other tisane mixes. The one thing that sets it apart from herbal mixes, and some tisanes, is that it actually has caffeine within it. This is a huge plus to some, and a huge drawback to those with caffeine sensitivity.
Here is a great example of what yerba mate looks like. As you can see it is a bit green, with a hard to describe aroma when a fresh bag is opened. Almost close to a green rooibos when brewed but with a unique taste that is in a category all to its own. Yerba Mate is a great drink if you are looking for a new addition to your tea cabinet or something to give you a new drink to try out if you are getting tired of your current tea collection.
So back to the discussion of Yerba Mate and caffeine; the simplest truth is that yes it does have caffeine. How much caffeine does Yerba Mate have is something that I often get asked. To stay on the safe side I tend to say about as much as a strong black tea. In some cases this is true, in others it is not but just like tea it is very hard to say exactly how much caffeine is in a mix without a true chemical analysis. A one cup of coffee contains caffeine about 85mg to 150mg. However, in mate varieties, it contains only small part of caffeine around 25gm only. But, be mindful because some mate contains 150mg of caffeine similar to that of coffee. A cup of delicious tea must not exceed caffeine of 70mg.
The good thing about Yerba Mate is that isn’t acidic compared to coffee and has a lower tannins than green tea and other kinds of tea. That is why; lots of people love to drink this mix. However, when speaking of the caffeine in this tea depends on the brewing time and also on the product quality just like I mentioned above.
Yerba mate also contains xanthines which is beneficial and can reduce the side effects of too much caffeine consumption in the body. Due to the antioxidant content and low caffeine of Yerba mate, lots of people are drinking this tea every morning.
If you are looking how to brew yerba mate then just take a look at that post. If you already know how to brew up a tasty cuppa Yerba, then I would suggest taking a look at these tasty choices: