FEDE Rico

Today we’re diving right into a mate from Paraguay called FEDE Rico.

Normally yerba mate from Paraguay is grown with the intention of drinking it in the form of terere. Terere is really just yerba mate with cold liquid instead of hot. Some people add juice to the gourd or simply ice water. I personally prefer all of my yerba mate hot, but whatever works for you.

Each country mate is consumed has a different style to it. In Paraguay it has the chopped leaves used in Argentina and polvo or dust commonly used in Uruguay and Brazil. It’s a combination of what makes the others unique. With this combination comes the extra filtering from the sticks of the Argentinian cut and the solidifying of the Uruguayan style dust.

The taste of this brand is what I consider correct for mate from Paraguay. Yerba mate in Paraguay has this unique tobacco flavor. It’s not necessarily strong, but you can taste it. Some brands overdo that for my liking. FEDE Rico tastes like the starting point of what other brands there add to to make their own flavor.

All in all it’s a good yerba. I drink mine hot because that is the best method for extracting all of the nutrients. Hot tastes great to me. It’s winter in the southern hemisphere, so hot may be what most people are preferring down there. I suggest giving it a try. You might just like it.

Does anyone else drink Paraguayan mate hot?