Mate
Mate is a tonic drink made from dried crushed leaves, twigs and dust of Paraguayan holly. It is known throughout the world as the greatest value in South America.
Mate tea?
Mate is one of the most ancient drinks of mankind that have survived to this day. There are documents confirming the popularity of mate among the Mayan tribe. Classic mate tea is most useful due to inclusions of twigs and dust, which contain many substances valuable for the human body. One of them is mateine - a mild activity stimulant, an analogue of caffeine, which has no side effects in the form of palpitations, tremors, hypertension and is not addictive.
On the other hand, reviews of mate strongly suggest that drinking the drink at night promotes deeper sleep and better rest. This makes it possible to recommend mate both for insomnia and for depression and neurosis. By the way, it is the presence of dust that is an indicator of the quality of mate tea, and the twigs give the drink a special piquancy and astringency.
Contrary to popular belief, the drink is not tea in nature. For the production of mate, young holly shoots are harvested and placed in special baskets, which are containers for long-term drying. During drying, the raw material is shaken several times so that the process goes evenly, and then it is thoroughly crushed. Mate connoisseurs consider the best product that is packaged at the place of collection. Also, when buying, you should pay attention to the expiration date, since the expired mate is not usable.
The healing properties of mate tea are truly unique. The composition of mate contains about 200 of the most valuable nutrients, in particular vitamins A, C and E, and all vitamins of group B are contained in a concentration close to therapeutic. In addition to vitamins, mate contains trace elements such as iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, sulfur and others.
Also proven is the invaluable property of mate tea to raise the level of good cholesterol in the blood and lower the level of bad cholesterol. As a result, the balanced composition of mate reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of oncology.
There is an assumption according to which the use of hot mate (however, like any other excessively hot foods) can contribute to the oncological pathologies of the esophagus. Also, some scientists tend to associate the threatening statistics on lung and bladder cancer in Uruguay with the tradition of daily use of mate. At the same time, a comprehensive volumetric international study of this issue has not been carried out.
How to brew mate correctly
Brewing mate is, without exaggeration, an art. This process takes a fair amount of time and does not tolerate fuss. In the South American colonies, the "wrong" mate was considered an insult, and in noble houses they kept special servants who knew how to brew mate according to all the rules. In modern Argentina, competitions for the preparation of this legendary drink are regularly held.
It is believed that sweet mate is the lot of refined city dwellers, women and foreigners who know nothing about the drink; real men prefer a strong drink without sugar and honey. According to experts' reviews of mat, improperly brewed it can even cause fainting. Both mate itself and water with calabash are of great importance for the correct brewing process.
Calabas was originally a carved pumpkin of a certain variety. Today, anywhere in the world, you can easily purchase wooden, metal and even plastic kalabas. Before the first use, the craftsmen thoroughly prepare the kalabas according to traditional methods, but after filling it with a little less than half of the mate, it is enough to fill the vessel with hot water (but not boiling water!), Insist, without covering, for a day, and then drain the infusion and wipe the kalabas with a soft cloth …
Mate powder is poured into the prepared kalabas by 2/3 of the volume, covered with a palm and shaken. As a result, large particles are at the bottom, and dust at the top. The calabas are tilted so that the mate falls to the inclined wall, and the bombilla is lowered to the free wall - a special tube that was previously made from plant stems, and today is made of stainless steel, silver and other metals.
Kalabas returned to the upright position, a finger fish is closed and carefully poured mate water temperature not higher than 80 of the C to the level crossing and bombily welding. Insist in this form for about two minutes, and then add water, filling the entire volume of the calabash.
One and the same portion of mate is poured with water many times, up to a complete loss of taste, while the bombilla is not moved from its place and the infusion is not mixed with it. Connoisseurs note the special taste of the drink after the fourth brewing cycle. With regular use of the Calabas drink, you can not wash, but only wipe with a soft cloth after emptying. If you drink mate from time to time, then the washed kalabas is stored with the neck down.
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