Uruguayan Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is part of daily life in Uruguay, where it is typically carried in a wide gourd alongside a thermos of hot water and shared through the day. Uruguayan mate is characteristically ground fine and often sin palo — without stems. If the drink is new to you, our complete guide to yerba mate covers the basics, and this guide to Uruguayan food places mate alongside the rest of the country’s table.

What “compuesta” means. Uruguayan producers are also known for yerba mate compuesta — mate leaf blended with dried herbs and other botanicals. Each house has its own recipe, and the blends are a long-standing part of how mate is drunk in the region.

What is in this collection. Most of the range here is compuesta or herb-blended mate from Cabral, La Selva and Salud y Flora, in 1 kg packs. Alongside them is Canarias Yerba Mate Sin Palo, a traditional stemless loose leaf.

Telling them apart. A traditional mate lists yerba mate on its own, and the pack will usually say sin palo (no stems) or con palo (with stems). A compuesta says compuesta or names the herbs blended into it. Both are prepared the same way — see how to prepare yerba mate.