What is Yerba Mate?

This blog explores and explains what yerba mate actually is, where it comes from, its health benefits, and more!

The plant behind Yerba Mate

Yerba mate comes from the plant Ilex paraguariensis, which is a South American native holly tree. This evergreen tree grows in the subtropical regions of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The climate of these areas is warm and humid and is the perfect environment to create nutrient-dense leaves.

Holly Tree (Ilex paraguariensis) (Local Food Connect, 2026)

The special part of this plant is the special chemical makeup of its leaves. They naturally contain caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which are methylxanthines. These chemicals are quite common, as they are found in coffee, tea, and chocolate, respectively. Coffee does not contain all three as yerba mate does; this leads to a smooth delivery of smooth, focused energy rather than a jittery spike (e.g., from coffee).

Coffee contains caffeine (Stronger by Science, 2026)

Chocolate contains theobromine (Galab Laboratories, 2026)

Theophylline's chemical makeup (Wikipedia, 2026)

How Yerba Mate leaves are processed

This is from the freshly harvested leaves to the yerba you buy in a bag!

Step 1: This is the harvesting stage and is also known as "Cosecha"! 

The yerba mate leaves are cut from the holly tree using a dedicated machine, a machete, or shears. Only the mature leaves and small stems are taken so that the rest of the plant can keep growing.

Man using a specialized tractor for yerba mate harvesting; the machine was developed in Argentina (IProfesional, 2021)

Man harvesting yerba mate plant using shears in rural Argentina (El País, 2015)

Step 2: Sapecado (flash drying/heating) takes place!

Right after Cosecha the leaves undergo Sapecado (flash drying/heating), which is when the leaves are exposed to very high heat for a few seconds. Sapecado is used as it stops oxidation, keeps the green colour, and preserves nutrients.

Brazilian chimarrão uses a faster, hotter sapecado, which is why it stays its iconic bright green colour.

The sapecado from the outside (Yerba Mate Argentina, 2026)

Inside the spinning sapecado, fire flash-dries the yerba mate leaves (Yerba Market, 2026)

Step 3: Secado (Secondary Drying)

In this step the leaves undergo a slower drying process called "Secado", which is usually done by using hot air to reduce the moisture content of the leaves to around 5%.

Drying of Yerba Mate prior to grinding, in a drying facility in the town of Campo Ramón, Misiones province, 2016 (By Leandro Kibisz – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Step 4: Canchedo (Grinding)

The dried leaves, including the stems, are then coarsely crushed, which is called "canchedo". The pieces are around 1 to 2 centimetres (25/64 to 25/32 inches) in length.

Yerba Mate after its grinding process and prior to its shipment to the mill in a drying facility in the town of Campo Ramón, Misiones, Argentina, 2016 (By Leandro Kibisz—Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Step 5: Aging

This step starts with the coarsely crushed yerba to be packaged into jute bags and carefully stored in climate-controlled chambers and is aged in this ageing process for 6 to 24 months, respectively. An important note to mention is that Brazilian mate (chimarrão) does not age.

Yerba Mate, dried and packaged prior to its shipment to the mill in a drying facility in the town of Campo Ramón, Misiones, Argentina, 2016 (By Leandro Kibisz—Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Step 6: Molienda (Final Milling)!

Once aging is complete, the yerba is sent off for its final grind. This is where manufacturers decide on the texture and consistency of their finished product. The leaves and stems are separated and milled individually using specialised machinery, with most leaves being broken down into small particles roughly 1 to 5 millimetres in size. The finest material becomes a powder known as "polvo." During this stage the yerba is also inspected and cleaned to remove any unwanted debris. For premium "selección especial" varieties, only the highest quality leaves and stems make the cut.

Yerba mate factory in Argentina (PuraData, 2026)

Step 7: Blending, which is the final step!

The final step is where everything comes together. Manufacturers combine the milled leaves, stems, and powder in different ratios depending on the style of yerba they want to produce. A con palo yerba will have a higher proportion of stems blended in, while a sin palo variety keeps stems to a minimum of around 10% or less. In countries like Brazil and Uruguay, a finer, more powdery blend is preferred, and Uruguay even has official composition standards which is known as the Padrón Uruguayo which producers are expected to follow when blending their product.

• 

  Yerba mate with different levels of granularity denominated “yerba mate elaborada despalada” and “yerba mate elaborada con palo” (from left to right), 2011 (By Mariano-J - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

  The yerba mate production process transforms fresh holly tree leaves into a finished product through cosecha, sapecado, secado, canchedo, ageing, mollienda, and blending! Each step shapes the flavour, colour, and texture of the yerba, resulting in the unique styles enjoyed across South America.

  
  

  Written by Anthony Penna, Yerba Notes, 2026

Thanks to Matexperience for their detailed guide on yerba mate production, which helped inform parts of this post.

You can check out their article here: https://matexperience.com/insights/yerba-mate/yerba-mate-production/