Yerba mate is an acquired taste. For most people (myself included) mate seemed overwhelming, bitter and strong at first, which may lead to disappointment and loss of interest. That’s why it is important to start with a right yerba mate that can be enjoyed even by a novice; yerba mate that will introduce those earthy herbal flavors to an unprepared palate; yerba mate that will make you fall in love with this complex and healthy infusion.
So, you found out about yerba mate — maybe you read an article in a health magazine or saw a celebrity on social media drinking mate with cool but alien-looking gourd and bombilla. It piqued your interest, you searched online and found a community of people passionate about yerba mate that made you want to join them and try it as well. Or maybe your friend or a loved one saw you drinking mate and showed interest in your hobby and lifestyle.
My first sip of mate
The first time I tried mate I didn’t experience any pleasure. I remember buying a set of different yerba mate samplers, including the likes of Rosamonte Tradicional, which I decided to try first. The taste of that first sip was smoky, bitter and disgusting — it seemed that I was drinking a mixture of strong green tea, coffee and a cheap cigarette. I was disappointed because I liked what I read about the benefits of mate and its cultural role.
Somebody recommended me to start off with Piporé Con Palo, so I decided to grab a 1 kilo bag of this yerba mate and drink it daily no matter what, until two weeks later I realized that I am actually looking forward to my daily mate and really enjoy it.
Piporé Con Palo
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Years later, I still think that Piporé Con Palo is a great yerba mate to start your journey with, but it’s not the only option out there. After drinking and reviewing many yerba mates, I want to share what are some other great options for new mate drinkers in my opinion, and also offer my recommendations about the best brands to start with when you want to dip your toes into other regional types or cuts of yerba mate.
What constitutes beginner-friendly yerba mate?
Of course tastes differ, and some people who are new to mate but come with a long background of drinking coffee or enjoying peaty whiskeys may prefer smoky and bold yerbas from the get go. However, in my personal experience and observing reactions of people who I introduced to yerba mate over the years, the vast majority of people prefer mate that is light, sweet, herbal and not too complex. First mate should not taste alien or inedible, and should evoke positive and comforting associations with the first sip.
Another factor to consider is how hard it is to prepare such yerba mate. Cut of the first yerba mate is very important, especially when you decided to prepare your first mate traditionally, with gourd and bombilla. Generally speaking, con palo cut is easier to handle than despalada or Uruguayan P.U.1 or Brazilian moída fina cuts. But preparation is not just about the cut, but also about the temperature of the water. In my opinion, a good beginner-friendly yerba mate should be forgiving to water temperature, and be as good at 60° C / 140° F as it is at 85° C / 185° F .
Best overall yerba mate for beginners
In my opinion, it’s best to start with Argentine yerba mate, because I would say that the majority of yerbas from Argentina are on the lighter and sweeter side, compared to other regional varieties. Most of the Paraguayan yerba mate, on the other hand, is smoked and too strong for beginners. Brazilian erva is really hard to prepare without proper tools and techniques, and Uruguayan yerba mate may be too full-bodied and bold for an unprepared palate. Don’t get too discouraged though, as we’ll go through all of regional types and cuts a bit later in this article, and explore the best yerba mates to start off that specific type or cut with.
Playadito Con Palo
At a first glance Playadito Con Palo may seem like another ordinary con palo yerba mate, but it cannot be further from the truth. It boasts one of the longest durability that you can experience in the world of Argentine yerba mate, along with naturally very sweet taste to satisfy your sweet tooth, and long pleasant finish. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Playadito Con Palo.
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Best Argentine yerba mate for beginners
There are actually a lot of newbie-friendly Argentine yerba mates on the market that are naturally sweet, light, preferably non-smoked and not overly bitter. In addition to already mentioned Playadito Con Palo and Piporé Con Palo, I decided to add three more yerbas to this list that are not too complex, light to medium-bodied and not super similar to each other, offering something unique and distinctive.
Romance Tradicional
When I first looked at Romance Tradicional it did not grab my attention — a typical traditional Argentine yerba mate was not advertised to be organic, special selection or in any way premium. What I found inside the bag was an astonishingly underrated yerba mate that is on par with the more famous and acknowledged brands, that manages to keep up its complexity while simultaneously being very welcoming to beginners and forgiving preparation-wise. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Romance Tradicional.
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Check PriceLa Merced De Campo
This is not another same Argentine yerba mate, even though it may seem like that at first — behind a typical con palo cut La Merced De Campo hides unique features that will make this yerba mate a nice addition to a shelf of any mate drinker. Unprecedentedly long durability, very balanced classic taste and sustained energy make this mate a perfect everyday productivity booster and a great introduction for beginners to what mate is all about — delicious earthy taste and long-lasting benefits of clear mind and non-overwhelming energy. Read the rest of the review to find out more about La Merced De Campo.
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Aguantadora Despalada
Aguantadora Despalada is not your typical sin palo yerba mate — it’s easy to prepare traditionally, it’s fairly sweet, balanced and relaxing; it is a perfect despalada for those who would like to dip their toes into the territory of stemless yerba mates, but don’t want to be overwhelmed by the first experience. The lack of strong bitter flavors and powerful energizing effects may disappoint some fans of sin palo yerba mates, but nevertheless, those unique features of Aguantadora Despalada separate it from the crowd and make it worthwhile to try at least once. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Aguantadora Despalada.
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Best Paraguayan yerba mate for beginners
Paraguayan yerba mate is known for its rustic, bold, strong and smoky flavor profile, which is generally not something that novice materos would enjoy in the beginning of their mate journey. The only advantage of Paraguayan yerba mate has for beginners is that it usually has con palo cut, and that abundance of stems makes it easy to prepare traditionally. It’s still quite powdery, and on average is dustier than a typical Argentine yerba mate, so keep that in mind and don’t forget about building and maintaining a proper mountain of yerba with Paraguayan mate. Nevertheless, this regional type of yerba mate is very much worth exploring even if you are still new to mate, and here are the two Paraguayan yerbas that are in my opinion a perfect gateway into the vast world of yerba mate from this country, that will give you an idea on how it is different to Argentine yerbas, while not being too radical of a change in a flavor profile and effects.
Kurupí Clásica
One of the best Paraguayan yerba mate brands on the market, Kurupí Clásica is a very versatile yerba mate that is great both as hot mate and icy tereré. Sweet and refreshing with cold water; oaky and whiskey-like with hot water, this yerba mate will suit people who want to start exploring Paraguayan yerbas, and will be interesting enough for long-term mate drinkers. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Kurupí Clásica.
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Selecta Tradicional
Dual nature is what makes Selecta Tradicional so unique — it shares characteristics of both Paraguayan and Argentine yerba mate. Despite being pretty good as a tereré, Selecta Tradicional is one of those rare Paraguayan brands that is probably even better with hot water. If you have never had a Paraguayan mate and want to start exploring Paraguayan brands — this could be your perfect candidate. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Selecta Tradicional.
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Best Uruguayan yerba mate for beginners
The biggest obstacle that Uruguayan yerbas present to beginner is their cut. Finely-ground Uruguayan yerba mate requires a proper technique — mountain here is mandatory to avoid clogging — and proper tools, mainly a good spoon bombilla. Taste-wise, Uruguayan mate can range from milky, syrupy and velvety smooth, to leathery, smoky and bitter, depending on a brand. So, if you feel like you’re ready to graduate to yerba mate from this country, and prepared to tackle its fine cut, here are few brands that in my opinion are a perfect introduction to Uruguayan mate.
Del Cebador Clásica
Definitely one of my all-time favorite yerba mate brands, personally for me Del Cebador Clásica doesn’t seem to have any downsides at all — it’s not too hard to prepare, it has a very rich and unique taste and lasts for a very long time. This yerba mate will be a great starting point for those who want to begin exploring Uruguayan yerba mate brands, and can be a revelation for seasoned materos who are in search for something special and full of flavor. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Del Cebador Clásica.
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Sara Tradicional
Sitting somewhere between Del Cebador Clásica and Canarias Tradicional in terms of taste, Sara Tradicional is an interesting yerba mate that definitely has its own place in a Uruguayan lineup. And while the hardcore fans of fine and dusty yerbas may find this particular one a bit too safe and smooth, at the end of the day it is hard to be disappointed by Sara Tradicional, as it offers something that other yerba mate brands from Uruguay cannot provide. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Sara Tradicional.
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La Selva Tradicional
If you came for a classic Uruguayan experience, you won’t get it with La Selva Tradicional. What you’ll get is a distinctively unique yerba mate that will show you that Uruguayan yerbas do not always follow the same recipe. La Selva Tradicional carves its own path, proving that Uruguayan yerba mate can have a variety of cuts and flavor profiles and demonstrating the true depth of yerba mate from this region without compromising on its recognizability as a Uruguayan mate. Read the rest of the review to find out more about La Selva Tradicional.
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Best Brazilian erva mate for beginners
I believe that anyone would love the fresh and bright taste of Brazilian chimarrão, no matter if they tried yerba mate before or not. The problem with Brazilian erva, is that the vast majority of what is produced for the export and can be found outside of South America has moída fina cut, which is super fine and powdery. So the best way to start dipping your toes in Brazilian erva mate is to find moída grossa variety, which very much resembles the con palo cut of Argentine or Paraguayan yerba mate, but still is unaged, bright green and fresh. Once you get a taste of the grassy goodness that Brazilian erva has to offer, you can start learning a proper chimarrão preparation technique with moída fina erva. Here are both cut varieties that provide a great starting point for Brazilian mate journey.
Meta Mate 23
There is nothing ordinary or conventional about Meta Mate 23, starting from a quite unusual name, and ending with a rare and unique cut and taste. I do not just respect it; I love it — this yerba mate is a great showcase of why it’s crucial for the yerba mate industry to experiment and sometimes to break away from mundane traditions. 23 is considered an auspicious number and is a code for those who believe there are no coincidences. Don’t just take my word for it — try it for yourself and see how deep this rabbit hole goes. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Meta Mate 23.
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Check PriceBarão De Cotegipe Tradicional
This erva mate can literally be a breath of fresh air for materos that are starting to feel bored by more common Argentine, Paraguayan and Uruguayan mates. It would be interesting enough for both regular chimarrão drinkers and materos who mainly drink other regional cuts of mate and want to freshen up their palate with something more exotic and different. Barão Tradicional is a wonderful example of what the world of Brazilian mate has to offer, and another proof of how diverse is this beautiful beverage. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Barão De Cotegipe Tradicional.
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Few words on flavored yerba mate and compuestas
While the world of pure yerba mate is enormously vast with all the regional types, cuts, growing and production methods, if you add flavored and blended yerba mate the possibilities becomes truly almost endless. Certain brands, like CBSé, are focused entirely on producing flavored yerba mate, and most other well-known companies also have some sort of compuesta in their lineup. In general, flavored or blended yerba mate is considered to be geared towards people who are new to mate, so it is worth mentioning them in this article.
I know some people despise enhanced yerba and do not call it a “true” yerba mate, but from my experience compuestas and flavored yerbas are actually pretty good, and the added flavorings are enhancing the taste of yerba mate, rather than suppressing it or overriding it. To me, flavored yerba mate can be a good introduction for children who can later “graduate” to a pure yerba mate and not be startled by suddenly different taste. Even if you don’t like the idea of, say, orange-flavored yerba mate, I would still recommend you to at least try it, especially as your first tereré, and then make your own mind about this genre of mate. Here are some of the yerba mates that in my opinion will showcase you the flavoring done right, while still being approachable, pleasantly tasting for a novice palate, and relatively easy to prepare.
Playadito Hierbas
With chamomile, sage, lemon verbena and peppermint, this uncommon blend fits logically well in the somewhat modest but strong lineup of Cooperativa Liebig yerba mates. Not only Playadito Hierbas adds something new and unique to the table, it also continues the trend set by other Playadito-branded products — a great yerba mate for beginner materos, especially for those who want to dip their toes into the exciting world of compuestas. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Playadito Hierbas.
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CBSé Frutos del Valle
My first meeting with CBSé yerba mate family was not ideal — CBSé Guaraná did not impress me at all. It was a polarizing yerba, some may say gimmicky, and definitely does not completely represent what CBSé is all about — fun, flavored yerba mate that stands out with their attractive fruity flavors. With CBSé Frutos del Valle I decided to give CBSé another chance, start from a clean slate and allow it to give me a second first impression. And it did successfully impress me! I got what I expected — pleasant fruity taste that lays well on top of yerba mate, along with noticeable effects and long durability. Sure, seasoned materos may prefer more “advanced” smoky and malty yerbas, but I feel like not only beginners will like CBSé Frutos del Valle. If you’ll allow yourself to be less serious and drop your presuppositions about flavored and mass-market yerba mates, you’ll find here the one that is hard to complain about. Read the rest of the review to find out more about CBSé Frutos del Valle.
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Taragüi Maracuyá
Light and sweet, no matter if you prepare it as hot mate or cold tereré, Taragüi Maracuyá can be a great first stepping stone to those materos who started off with traditional Argentine yerba mate and want to see what’s all the fuss is with tereré. It can also be a no-nonsense mate for those who want to get all the benefits and effects of yerba, served in a drink that almost tastes like a fruit juice. For that reason, it also may be a perfect introduction mate for your children, who will definitely enjoy the taste of passion fruit and orange, but will still get an idea of what the actual yerba mate tastes like. Read the rest of the review to find out more about Taragüi Maracuyá.
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El Moncayo Compuesta Original
It’s not every day that you find a complex and interesting compuesta that does not consist of predictable and simple herbs such as mint and lemon verbena. El Moncayo Compuesta Original is not boring and safe, and boasts an impressive number of 10 different, and somewhat exotic herbs in addition to the tried and tested ones such as chamomile and boldo. Not only those herbs are supposed to make an already super healthy mate even more beneficial, but they marry so well in its taste that I would drink it on a daily basis even if it was bad for my heath — it’s that good. A long durability and calming relaxing effect are the cherry on top and create an interesting spin on a classic Uruguayan yerba mate that earns a permanent place on a shelf of every self-respecting matero. Read the rest of the review to find out more about El Moncayo Compuesta Original.
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Basic dos and don’ts
Even the most sweet and light yerba mate can be ruined and become undrinkable if you don’t avoid these common pitfalls.
Do prepare mate correctly and traditionally, meaning that you fill up the gourd 2/3 to 3/4 with yerba mate and drink it through bombilla. Some people may suggest that in order to avoid an overly bitter and strong mate, beginners should fill only 1/4 of the gourd with yerba mate, or even use French press. And while using French press in my opinion can be justified for certain yerba mate cuts and circumstances, underfilling the gourd with yerba will result in mate “soup” that is unbalanced and unpleasant to drink. Properly prepared mate is designed to be balanced during the whole drinking session, as the water touches the yerba mate partially, eventually using it all over the time as you pour more and more water.
Do use the correct water, especially when it comes to temperature. Best temperature for mate is in the range between 60° C to 85° C / 140° F to 185° F .
Don’t drink mate with boiling hot water! Not only does it ruin the taste of mate, it is also extremely dangerous. Mate is not brewed in the same fashion as tea or coffee; you sip mate as soon as you refill it in the gourd, and boiling hot water will most definitely burn your mouth. Different yerbas are best at different temperatures, but as a general rule of thumb, 70° C / 160° F is fine for most of yerba mate brands. You can read my guide if you want to learn more about water for mate.
Don’t sweeten your mate if it is too bitter. Yerba mates that I recommend for beginners are already naturally sweet, and while they still may taste bitter to an unprepared palate, instead try to eat something sweet along with drinking. Dulce de leche is a very popular dessert in Argentina and South America and goes really well with mate. I particularly find a combination of sweet alfajores with bitter mate super delicious and yummy.
And finally, don’t get discouraged too early! Give your palate at least 2 weeks to a month to get accustomed to the flavor of mate and I guarantee that eventually you’ll love it!
Next steps
If you liked those yerbas from the first sip, or started to enjoy them after a while — congratulations! A whole new world full of delicious yerba mates has opened to you, ready to be discovered. Now as you’re finishing these bags of yerba mate, you can start thinking on what to try next.
Don’t worry if you don’t like a certain yerba mate at first — take a note and remember to revisit it sometime later. For instance, one of the first yerbas that I tried was Rosamonte Tradicional, and I hated it — too bitter and smoky, back then it tasted to me as if I brewed some cigarette tobacco. Later, however, when my palate became more mature, I revisited Rosamonte Tradicional and absolutely loved its bold and strong flavor.
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Taking notes (mentally, physically on a piece of paper or with an app on your phone) on what you like or dislike is a good strategy in general, as long as you don’t cling to your preferences too hard and are open to reconsider some of your tastes. It will help you to better understand how your palate evolves and what yerba mate you should try next. You can combine it with reading my yerba mate reviews to see whether you’ll enjoy a certain yerba mate or not, according to your preferences.
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What yerba mate you decided to start with? Experienced materos — what was your first yerba mate, and what would you recommend for beginners? Share it in the comments below!
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Compuesta
Con palo
Despalada
Durability
Erva mate
Long durability
Mate
Mountain of yerba
Moída fina
Moída grossa
P.U.1
Sin palo
Tereré
Yerba mate
