Three years ago, I was drawn to traditional yerba mate – with a gourd, bombilla, and some loose-leaf yerba. I thought it was the coolest thing ever (it still is). I did all the research I could on it and learned all the ins-and-outs as I got myself deeper into this hobby.

But throughout all those years, I’ve never laid my hands on a pack of yerba mate tea bags.

If you’re wondering why, there are two reasons…

First, tradition.

Called me old-fashioned, but I love sticking to tradition. I believe if a gourd is how yerba mate was first consumed, it’s how it should be consumed. People would disagree and that’s fine with me. But the truth is, drinking mate the way tribes did centuries ago is a completely different experience compared to modern methods.

Second, taste.

I knew tea bags would taste nothing like when prepared in a gourd so I was never interested.

But for the sake of this post, I decided to grab a box of Cruz De Malta tea bags and compare it to its original loose-leaf version (which I reviewed years ago).

How To Prepare Loose Leaf Yerba Mate

I’ve written a full in-depth post on how to prepare yerba mate in the past, but here’s a summarized version:

1. Fill half your gourd with yerba mate (about 50g depending on gourd size)
2. Cover opening with your palm and shake upside down
3. Rotate back to a 45º angle to form a slope/mountain of mate
4. Fill empty side with room temperature water and let it soak
5. Place your bombilla in from the water-side and slide it under the slope of yerba
6. Fill the gourd with hot water (140-170ºF) by pouring from the water-side
7. Drink and keep refilling

How To Prepare Yerba Mate Tea Bags

Preparing yerba mate tea bags is like preparing any other tea bag.

1. Heat water to 180ºF (82ºC)
2. Place yerba mate tea bag in cup
3. Fill with hot water
4. Let steep for 3-5 minutes
5. Drink

As you can see, the methods are vastly different, and as a result, so is the experience…

Yerba Mate Tea Bags VS Loose Leaf

When I first tried a yerba mate tea bag, I wasn’t surprised.

Everything about it was just as I expected…

Taste

Despite how inexperienced or experienced you are with yerba mate, a tea bag won’t be offensive to anyone’s palate. However, the same can’t be said about traditional yerba mate.

While traditional yerba mate is known for its bold, intense flavor and earthy bitterness, yerba mate tea bags are the complete opposite.

When I tried the tea bag, the first thing I noticed was how mild it tasted. It was so mild I almost didn’t taste anything. The slightest hint of woods and butter, then poof! It’s gone. Leaving nothing but a bit of astringency behind on the palate. I have to admit, it tastes almost like nothing.

Meanwhile, preparing Cruz De Malta in a gourd offers a bold brew full of flavor of earth and woods that you can feel down to your bones.

Duration

Preparing loose-leaf yerba mate in a gourd is going to last a lot longer compared to a tea bag.

Tea bags only hold 3-5 grams of yerba, while a gourd can hold anywhere between 20-100+ grams.

While a tea bag gets used up after one cup, a gourd can be continuously refilled and reused, lasting up to a full liter of water.

This makes loose-leaf yerba perfect for drinking both alone and with friends and family. You can do the same with tea bags, but it doesn’t compare to passing around one big gourd that everyone sips out of.

Effect

Again, because of the different quantity of tea, drinking yerba mate from a gourd produces a stronger effect than a tea bag.

You’ll feel more focused, alert, relaxed, and attentive for hours and hours without getting jittery. The most noticeable effect though is that floaty head feeling. If you’ve had yerba mate before, you know what I’m talking about. If not, the best way I can describe it is it your head feels light, yet stimulated. You almost can’t feel your head, but you can at the same time.

Tea bags, on the other hand, don’t stand close to this.

It’s still a bit stimulating as it kept me up at night when I drank it before bed. But it’s not enough to give you that floaty head feeling. At most, you feel more focused and that’s it. It’s like drinking any other tea bag.

What Should You Drink?

If you’re new to yerba mate and just want a taste, tea bags might be the better option.

Its mild strength and flavor are good for beginners. Plus, they’re cheap so you don’t have to commit too much money. You can grab 50 Cruz De Malta tea bags on Amazon for under $10. Then from there, if you like them, then you can move on to getting the full experience with loose-leaf yerba.

Or you can jump right into it instead.

Just be aware you might not be able to handle the strength and bitterness at first. But as you keep drinking it every day, you’ll eventually come to love it.

All in all, both yerba mate tea bags and loose leaf yerba are worth having for different reasons.

Tea bags for convenience and loose leaf for the full taste and effect.

I like to keep a few tea bags for when I’m in a rush or on-the-go. But when I’m sitting down ready to get some work down, I’ll always reach for my gourd and bombilla.

Final Words

Comparing yerba mate tea bags to loose-leaf yerba is night and day.

They’re two completely different experiences.

It’s unfair to even compare the two as they’re nothing alike.

If you’re ordering yerba mate tea bags in hopes of it being close to the real yerba mate experience, you’ll be disappointed. But if you want an introduction to yerba mate, tea bags are a great way to receive its benefits without having to adjust to taste. They’re also great for when you need a low dose to get the day started.

All in all, tea bags will always be secondary to loose leaf.

Preparing yerba mate the traditional way will always be superior to any other method both in taste, effect, and overall experience.

P.S. If you want to get the real experience, check out our store to get everything you need!