For most people, yerba mate has an earthy taste. It’s quite bitter and has a light body, but with none of the characteristic acidity of coffee. Some people enjoy it, while for others, it’s somewhat of an acquired taste. The drink does have a lot of caffeine and healthy vitamins and minerals, and many people drink it for those properties, and not always for the taste.

Yerba mate is a stimulating tea that gives drinkers a good, stable energy boost. There’s no “crash” associated with yerba mate, like with coffee, and it doesn’t have the jittery effects of coffee either. If you don’t enjoy the yerba mate taste, you’ll be happy to know there are ways to improve it.

How To Improve The Taste Of Yerba Mate

There are several different ways to improve the taste of yerba mate. If you enjoy the benefits but could do without the bitter taste, then why not try the following:

• Yerba Mate Iced Tea – This is the top choice for tea lovers. Iced yerba mate tea is enjoyed around the world, particularly in hot places. It’s flavorful and sweet while being easy to make and is, of course, super refreshing on cold days.

• When drinking with tea bags – add some sugar after steeping the tea. This is common across Brazil, where sweet foods are an intrinsic part of Brazilian culture (as is Mate). Sugar makes the bitterness of mate easier to bare, and covers up the other herbal flavors.

• Purchase flavor infused yerba mate – One of the most popular brands of flavored mate tea bags is Mate Leao. They offer lemon, lime, orange, and other flavored teas.

• Add a lemon twist. Squeeze a citric fruit like lemon or lime after the tea bag has steeped. Many enjoy the acidity and flavor it brings.

• Add honey or vanilla extract for taste

The Solution To The Yerba Mate Taste

The question of what yerba mate tastes like is a valid one if you haven’t tried the tea in the past. However, it can be difficult even for experienced yerba mate drinkers to say just what the tea tastes like. Several factors can influence the taste, including how the tea is prepared and brewed, how the plant was grown, which ingredients have been added, and more.

People often say that the tea has an earthy taste to it. Some might even describe as what grass would taste like. It has a strong flavor, which is only enhanced when drinking with a traditional gourd and bombilla straw. It also has a bitter aftertaste. However, yerba mate is also not creamy or dense and is easy to get accustomed to. It also lacks the acidity of coffee, which is one of the positives people talk about when they first try yerba mate.

These earthy flavors and the bitterness are the most polarizing aspects of yerba mate flavors. Mate fans can’t get enough of these tastes and heap praise upon them, saying that it tastes natural and refreshing. Traditionalists never add anything to their tea, taking it as purely as possible. Younger people and occasional drinkers, however, like to make changes such as adding it to cocktails, adding sugar and honey, or lots of other little zests to improve the flavor.

To Sum Up

While the original yerba mate flavor is something of an earthy and bitter variety, there are lots of different ways to adjust the flavor to your liking. So don’t worry if you aren’t an instant fan, give it a try and try out the taste for yourself!