Yerba Mate

[JJ]

Is anyone else into yerba mate? I'm enjoying some right now.

Is anyone into oolong tea, for that matter? Catchr?

[Alice]

I don't know what yerba mate is.  And tea is icky.

[Jessie]

Never heard of it.

[DownSouth]

I don't know what it is either.  I do drink a lot of tea though.

[Bishamonten]

I don't know what it is either.  I do drink a lot of tea though.

My wife and I drink what can only be described as a fuck ton of tea.  Granted she's cut back to 1 cup a day due to the pregnancy, but we still have a ton of tea.  Oolong is fun.  I have a gaiwan in my office simply for my oolong teas.  Also, if you can find it, try some Pu erh tea.  Earthy stuff.  Good.

[JJ]

I don't know what it is either.  I do drink a lot of tea though.

My wife and I drink what can only be described as a fuck ton of tea.  Granted she's cut back to 1 cup a day due to the pregnancy, but we still have a ton of tea.  Oolong is fun.  I have a gaiwan in my office simply for my oolong teas.  Also, if you can find it, try some Pu erh tea.  Earthy stuff.  Good.

If you can ever get some Tung Ting style oolong from Taiwan, try it. It's awesome. It's my favorite.

Alice: You're missing out.

[Bishamonten]

I don't know what it is either.  I do drink a lot of tea though.

My wife and I drink what can only be described as a fuck ton of tea.  Granted she's cut back to 1 cup a day due to the pregnancy, but we still have a ton of tea.  Oolong is fun.  I have a gaiwan in my office simply for my oolong teas.  Also, if you can find it, try some Pu erh tea.  Earthy stuff.  Good.

If you can ever get some Tung Ting style oolong from Taiwan, try it. It's awesome. It's my favorite.

Alice: You're missing out.

www.taooftea.com is a great place to order tea.
The Pine Smoke Black Tea is my current favorite. 

[Jessie]

I like tea, but usually only drink regular old iced tea or hot green tea.

[JJ]

www.taooftea.com is a great place to order tea.
The Pine Smoke Black Tea is my current favorite. 

Check out www.uptontea.com

[DownSouth]

I've been hooked on the citrus green tea for the past week or so.  I'm out now so I'm drinking citrus cooler Gatorade.  Not quite the same.

[Beefy]

I used to love tea, then I grew away from it.  It's been on my mind quite a bit lately.  I think I might go back to it.

I used to drink this Rainforest tea that I just loved.

[JJ]

That's a cool site, Bish, thanks for the link. Too bad they don't sell in larger quantities!

[Gamplayerx]

You ever gonna tell us what Yerba Mate is?

[JJ]

You ever gonna tell us what Yerba Mate is?

Look it up!

[Gamplayerx]

You ever gonna tell us what Yerba Mate is?

Look it up!

Make me!

[Jessie]

You ever gonna tell us what Yerba Mate is?

Look it up!

Make me!

Because I love you:

Yerba mate (Spanish) or erva mate (Portuguese) (Ilex paraguariensis) is a species of holly (family Aquifoliaceae) native to subtropical South America in Argentina, southern Paraguay, western Uruguay and southern Brazil.

The infusion called mate is prepared by steeping the dry leaves (and twigs) in hot water rather than boiling water like black tea or coffee. It is slightly less potent than coffee and much gentler on the stomach. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd (also called a mate in Spanish, or cabaça or cuia in Portuguese) with a metal straw (a bombilla in Spanish, bomba or canudo in Portuguese) is an extremely common social practice in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, eastern Chile and southern Bolivia and Brazil.

Its use has also been introduced into Lebanon and Syria, particularly among the Alawi, Druze and Ismaili minorities. It's a very popular social drink in Salamiyah, Syria.

The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea. Many consider the flavor to be very agreeable, however, it is generally bitter if steeped in water at boiling point and is traditionally made using boiling water combined with a little cold water. Unlike most teas, it does not become bitter and astringent when steeped for extended periods, and the leaves may be infused several times. Additionally, one can purchase flavored mate in many varieties.

In Brazil, a toasted version of mate, known as chá mate or "mate tea", is sold in teabag and loose form, and served, sweetened, in specialized shops, either hot or iced with fruit juice or milk. An iced, sweetened version of toasted mate is sold as an uncarbonated soft drink, with or without fruit flavoring. The toasted variety of mate has less of a bitter flavor and more of a spicy fragrance. It is more popular in the coastal cities of Brazil, as opposed to the far southern states where it is consumed in the traditional way (green, drunk with a silver straw from a shared gourd).

The yerba mate plant is a shrub or small tree growing up to 15 meters tall. The leaves are evergreen, 7–11 cm long and 3–5.5 cm wide, with a serrated margin. The flowers are small, greenish-white, with four petals. The fruit is a red berry 4–6 mm diameter[1].

[Jessie]

Also, the green tea latte at Starbucks tastes like grass. 

[dazie]

brownnoser.

[ursus]

Also, the green tea latte at Starbucks tastes like ass. 

Doesn't it all?

[Gamplayerx]

Thanks, Jessie!  You're a peach.

The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy

I read that as gassy.

[Alice]

I'm not missing out.  I can warm up water and throw some dirt in it for free... and it tastes just the same as tea.

[JJ]

I'm not missing out.  I can warm up water and throw some dirt in it for free... and it tastes just the same as tea.

That's the glue talking.

[Beefy]

I'm not missing out.  I can warm up water and throw some dirt in it for free... and it tastes just the same as tea.

You've been drinking the wrong tea.

[eo000]

I'm not missing out.  I can warm up water and throw some dirt in it for free... and it tastes just the same as tea.

You've been drinking the wrong tea.

don't listen to her. she's a coffee drinker.

[Alice]

I'm not missing out.  I can warm up water and throw some dirt in it for free... and it tastes just the same as tea.

You've been drinking the wrong tea.

Everyone always says that, but the tea they give me still tastes like hot water and the forest preserve.