On busy street corners in Paraguay you will often see vendors selling herbs and spices to locals who want to “perk up” their gourds full of yerba mate. Perhaps this is a glimpse of the origin of the many flavored yerba mate products sold today. I prefer my mate plain and unsweetened, but I make a few exceptions and one is for chai latte yerba mate.
The chai latte is just one color from the palette of “designer” beverages at your local coffee bar. It’s on the menu board with espresso, cappuccino, mocha and the traditional latte. Chai latte drinks represent a combination of many cultures and traditions. The original chai latte was a tea drink, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone would substitute yerba mate for tea.
Even though we use the word chai to describe the added spices, the name chai tea is really a redundancy. Chai (rhymes with “why”) is the Indian word for tea. The spiced drink made with black tea in India should be called masala chai. Masala is a word used to describe a “mixture of spices.” The latte portion of the name is used in many areas of the world that add warm milk to their coffee, tea or espresso.
Preparing an authentic chai latte, requires a host of ingredients. AÂ typical chai drink might include spices such as: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn and cloves. To further spice up and personalize your latte, you could add cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, saffron or licorice. All chai drinks have some type of sweetener, because the fullness of the spices only comes out when sweetened.
The recipes for masala chai are as varied as the fans of this exotic drink. Yerba mate drinkers are in luck however, thanks to two brands now featuring a chai latte concentrate: Pixie Mate and Guayaki. Each brand has its own unique blend of spices and, when mixed with milk or soy milk, gives you a beverage that rivals the $3 to $4 item in your nearest coffee and tea houses. Many commercial establishments make their chai lattes from similar concentrates.
Chai latte yerba mate is typically served hot in a cup or mug, but like iced tea, or terere (cold yerba mate), a chai latte can also be served cold. Pour it over ice in a glass for a refreshing summer drink.
Please be warned that the caffeine content in the chai latte yerba mate is greater than the 30 to 50 mg that you find in a cup of yerba mate brewed with a tea bag. You will be getting about 80 to 90 mg for the four ounces of concentrate that it takes to make the serving size described on the label. This is less than a cup of coffee, but will give you quite a jolt if you aren’t expecting it!
You can buy the chai latte yerba mate concentrate at most specialty markets. If yours doesn’t carry it, ask the manager to order it. A container of concentrate and a quart of milk makes eight servings for a total cost about equal to two cups in your local coffee bar. It’s a good taste - and a good value.
Here’s a big cheer for chai latte yerba mate!
Jim Worsham - is the author, editor, publisher, and owner of this blog. He resides in Long Beach, CA.
