If you visit a supermarket in Argentina or Uruguay you will be faced with an enormously wide variety of different brands and types of yerba mate. Here at almacenargentino.com we try to offer our customers as wide a variety as possible.. although it is never going to be as wide as in Argentina!!

So the question is... how to choose the best yerba mate?

At the end of the day it usually boils down to personal choice. However there are a number of factors that the mate drinker should take into account when choosing a yerba. Foremost among these are the maturity (settlement time) of the yerba and the blend (relative proportions of leaf, stems and powder.) These 2 factors are probably the most important in determining the taste, intensity and duration of the yerba.

Each producer of yerba mate determines the maturity for your product and produces its own blend; that is to say that the time and the proportions of leaf, stems and powder will vary.

Maturity: Yerba mate is stored in specially conditioned chambers, where temperature and humidity are controlled for maturation. The natural settlement lasts between 9 months or 1 year, during that period the yerba mate develops its aroma and flavor.

Blend:  Each element of the blend contributes to characteristics of each brand of yerba mate. The leaves provide intensity of flavor, while the stems help to achieve a smooth balance of flavors. The powder is a fundamental component to fuse the different notes that make up the flavor of the herb, and it is also responsible for achieving a soft and sparkling mate.

There is a type of yerba mate for everyone's taste!

Traditional Argentine yerba (con palo): The traditional blend with stems delivers a mild, consistent flavour and taste. On average, traditional Argentina blends have around 70% dried and crushed leaves and 30% stems. According to the Argentine Food Code, a traditional blend (con palo) it must have at least 65% of dried, broken or pulverized leaves and no more than 35% of stick.

More intense yerba (sin palo or despalada): In Uruguay they tend to like a stronger, lasting and intense flavor and they typically drink yerba without stems. The Argentine Food Code establishes that the yerba mate without stems (sin palo or despalada) must have less than 90% of dried, broken or pulverized leaves and not more than 10% of stick.

Yerba mate mixed with herbs: The popularity of yerba mixed with herbs such as boldo, linden, chamomile, pennyroyal (among others) has increased over the past few years. With these blended mixes, to the antioxidant and energizing properties of yerba mate, the properties of natural herbs are added. Some can be taken after a meal, since many of these herbs are digestive. Others produce a comforting, relaxing and well-being sensation. The Argentine Food Code says that each package must contain up to 40% of aromatic herbs, the remaining 60% must contain yerba mate.