Guarana & Mate [warana e yerbamate]

I am still under the pollen allergy claws. Taking Reactine and trying no to push myself toot much. Also with a shore throat and therefore drinking gallons of tea. Althought green tea is my ever favourite of all sorts of tea, I am always open to try new brands and herbs. Hubby has bought lately some novelties in terms of flavours: Guarana & Mate.

Well, guarana is not new for me. I think it is the most consumed frizzy drink in Brazil since the 60's: children and adults love it. In birthday parties, on the weekends, in bars and restaurants, you can never miss it... Here in Holland I guess you can find it in Finalmente Brazil shop in Amsterdam, or Samba Kitchen restaurant. My husband likes to (or used to) have it in powder form, in capusles, bleargh ! It is a natural shot of caffeine, an energizer.

How do I like this tea ? It is strange to drink something hot when you used to have it cold, as a soft drink. It is okay. I just keep thinking while tasting it: "mmm, guarana-as-hot-beverage-and-without-bubbles". Odd.

And I like to drink my mate very cold. In my other life, I used to love drinking Matte Leão during hot-hot-hot summer days. My parents have brought twice to Holland bottles of Matte Leão in powder, especially under my request.

I highly recommend you to try it with lemmon if you can find it. I do not care about this mate tea from Dutch supermarkets. I will use the sachets I have home and will not repeat them.

But the greatest world mate drinkers are the gauchos in south Brazil and the Argentineans.




So I put aside my prejudices and own opinion about this mate and went to ask two Argentinean colleagues V. and S. how they liked this tea version. I left some tea sachets on their working tables. Later that day, el señor V. replied: "Ahn, cara Anita. You want me to try this ...what ? Que es eso ? Tea ? From the supermarket ? Pero por que ? Why ? Your blog ? and what do you want me to say ? Me ? An Argentinean ? do you think I will try mate as Dutch tea ? NEVER ! Can I say that in your blog ? No ? Yes ? Bueno. You treat me as a guinea pig with your experiments... I do not know what I should answer. Are you sure ? Me ? ..." I got so confused that I left him talking alone and went to search la señorita S. She agreed smiling to try it, "Yes, of course ! For your blog ? Ay que lindo ! I will do it and I tell you later !" Days later she said she did it, ("yes, of course ! For your blog ! Lindo blog !"). So... "was it good ? How did you like it ?" - I asked. She got serious. She frowned. She said she couldn't remember what the taste was like.

At all.