There’s something that’s been on my mind lately…

Yerba mate is changing.

Specifically, it’s becoming modernized.

As time goes by, as more people start to know about yerba mate, the more modern it will become and the more its historic traditions will die down.

This seems to be a result of the market being flooded with innovators and entrepreneurs.

Whether this is good or bad, we’ll talk about in a bit.

Let’s first see how yerba mate is even being modernized…

The Modernization Of Yerba Mate Tea

As most of you know, the tradition consists of a calabash gourd, a bamboo/steel bombilla, and loose-leaf yerba mate.

This lasted for centuries until the current one, where an invasion of new products came to the scene. Most of which are from the United States.

This goes for gourds, bombilla straws, and even the yerba itself.

They’ve all experienced a shift away from old traditions.

Let’s first start with the yerba.

The typical process of producing yerba mate goes something like this: harvest leaves and stems from tree, dry them by fire, age for at least 6 months, crush and mill the leaves and stems, then package.

But most of this is changing.

Why?

Because of studies linking yerba mate to cancer, suggesting it may be because of how it is processed.

Specifically, the drying by fire producing a high carcinogenic PAH content (although this is a topic for another day, this shouldn’t be a huge concern as PAH is found in many things you already consume such as coffee and BBQ food).

With this in mind, however, you can now find several brands marked with buzzwords such as organic, unsmoked and air-dried.

Just as it says, these leaves are dried by hot air or by natural gas instead of fire-produced smoke. And are free from pesticides and herbicides in an effort to ensure quality yerba.

Some examples are the brands ECOTEAS, INATO, Mate Factor, and Kiss Me Organics.

What you’ll also notice with some of the brands above is
they don’t age their yerba.

Unlike the previous change being done for health reasons, this isn’t.

It’s solely for marketing.

How do I know this?

Because before these modern brands came to the scene, no one ever talked about the color or aging of yerba mate affecting its nutrient content.

If they did, there would be an entire discussion between chimarrao being healthier than mate, as chimarrao isn’t aged and is green in color as well.

But there’s not…

Yet, these modern brands are positioning their product as if it’s healthier simply because it’s greener in color and not aged. And whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.

But if you’re buying yerba for its color and age, you’re better off just getting a pack of chimarrao.

I’m convinced they’re the exact same, only its not pulverized into dust form.

Speaking of which, more brands are now
moving towards a leaf-only yerba mate.

Touting their brand to be better because there are no sticks and no dust is an effort to appeal to the western and outside market.

The only reason leaf-only yerba became a thing was because people didn’t want to go out their way to drink mate how it’s supposed to – with a gourd and bombilla.

In fact, they even complained because the traditional blend of leaves, stems, and dust didn’t allow them to brew mate the way they wanted to – with a teapot/strainer and mug.

As a result, new (and established) companies are selling more leaf-only packages.

Can you see where the trend is going?

Gone will be the traditional, smoked, aged, and leaf/stem/dust yerba mate that’s been around for centuries. Fresh green, leaf-only yerba is on the rise (and likely to stay).

But it doesn’t only apply to yerba. Mate gourds have changed tremendously as well…

The Modernization Of Yerba Mate Gourds

Yerba mate gourds used to only be made of calabash and wood.

And they’re still being made, but they’ve changed throughout the years.

The first change being the introduction of ceramic and glass gourds.

These gourds were well received by the public for its ease of use and cleaning. They didn’t need to be cured, and are less prone to cracking (unless dropped of course) and molding – a problem most people run into with calabash and wooden gourds – so they received a warm welcome.

But soon, things started to go too far…

After seeing the success of ceramic and glass gourds, the infamous silicone gourd emerged.

These silicone gourds nearly caused a riot from natives. They were offended. It looked like a mockery of their traditions.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Others found these gourds to be revolutionary. They thought it was genius.

It was the first and only gourd that was 99.99% indestructible, making it a staple among travelers and people who wanted to drink mate at work.

Then there came stainless steel gourds (which I’m actually a fan of and use myself)

It’s an innovative creation. Made with the same double-wall technology as thermoses, it always keeps your mate hot (or cold).

However, it doesn’t end here…

The Modernization Of Yerba Mate Bombillas

Traditionally, bombillas were made out of bamboo.

It didn’t take that long for it to change to stainless steel bombillas though.

And as of now, it doesn’t seem like that’ll change.

Until we decided to do something about it…

How?

By adding a simple heat-resistant silicone cap on the bombilla’s mouthpiece.

The reason we did this is because of how hot the straw can get. Since it’s made of steel, it conducts heat easily. Making the straw too hot to touch even with your finger.

Even at lower-than-usual temperatures, the straw is still able to burn our lips, ruining the enjoyable experience of this tea. At some point, we had enough and decided to do something about it.

And that’s how our special bombilla came about.

Now after learning about how yerba mate is being modernized, you’re probably wondering…

Is Modern Yerba Mate Better
Than Traditional Yerba Mate?

That’s a hard question to answer as it’s mostly a matter of preference.

Personally, I stick with tradition as much as I can and urge you to as well.

Why?

Because as great as the newer, more modern products may be, there’s something special about drinking mate the way the ancient Guarani tribes did centuries ago.

There’s a unique spiritual element to it.

If you drunk from a calabash and silicone gourd before, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Calabashes carry a naturalness that just feels right, whereas silicone almost feels dull. And this isn’t only with silicone gourds, but with others too.

However, this isn’t to say modern products are bad.

They serve their purpose and provide improvements. To not purchase any of them is foolish. There’s a reason they were made in the first place. And that’s to make yerba mate accommodate to our modern lives.

For example, if I want yerba on the go, I take my silicone gourd over my calabash because it might get damaged or broken.

I also only use our special silicone-capped bombilla because it provides a more enjoyable (and healthier) experience, compared to regular steel ones which burn your lips.

But when it comes to yerba itself, I can’t find a reason why I’d buy the modern brands over the traditional ones except for variety and experimentation.

A Deeper Look

We’ve already saw how yerba mate, gourds, and bombillas are being modernized.

But there’s still more to it…

If we steer too far from tradition, which we’re getting close to, yerba mate will never be the same.

The tradition of a simple gourd and bombilla will become obsolete, while whatever creation is in store for us in the future will be commonplace.

If you thought what I mentioned before was already too far, think again…

Yerba mate isn’t just loose-leaf tea anymore.

They’re also sold in tea bags (called mate cocido), as soda, sparkling drinks, energy drinks, energy shots, and even instant form.

I think this says all there is to say about yerba mate being modernized.

And I’m sure it’s not over yet…

Final Words

Yerba mate is a special herb.

A part of me likes that it’s becoming more and more popular, but another part of me hates where it’s heading.

I believe soon enough, the tradition of yerba mate will be replaced by some new product that takes off because of its novelty.

What that is, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.

But as a result of it, the ancient tradition will only be held by a teeny-tiny minority.

And it’s sad to see that happen.

I’m no native to yerba mate, but I always appreciated the tradition of preparing it with a gourd and bombilla.

What do you think about the modern spirit of yerba mate? Share your thoughts below.

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to check out our store for modern and traditional yerba mate equipment.