Latin American food recipes
The Latin American cuisine is very varied and changes dramatically according to geographic regions and the ingredients used. In this section we share our favourite Latin-American recipes that you can prepare with foods and ingredients from our online store.
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How do I prepare...?
YERBA MATE
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Mate cebado
Preparing yerba mate the traditional way (in a gourd) is an art.
Here's our recommended approach:
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1) Fill the mate gourd ¾ full with yerba mate.
2) Gently shake the gourd so that the yerba mate is on one side, leaving an open area on the other side.
3) Insert the filtered end of the bombilla into the bottom of the gourd.
4) Gently pour a little cold water into the open area to moisten the yerba mate. Leave the mate gourd tilted until the yerba mate has absorbed the water
5) Add hot (no hotter than 85C) water until it reaches just below the top of the yerba mate. Sip from the bombilla until all the liquid is gone, add more hot water. The first few drinks are strong; the flavour will soften as more water is added for each drink.
6) Now that the gourd is prepared, drink it, add more hot water and serve your friends one at a time. Tell your friends not to move the bombilla, as to not disturb the yerba. - Before using the gourd, read the curing and caring instructions carefully as some gourds require a treatment before using.
7. The mate gourd can be refilled with to 1 litre or more of water (overall). This depends on the type of yerba mate used, the size of the gourd and how you like your mate.
Mate dulce
Or "sweet" mate is prepared the same way as the yerba mate detailed instructions, except that sugar, or honey, is put into the gourd before the hot water is added. We recommend Kraus Silvestre with Manuka honey!
Mate citrus
Same as above with the addition of a twist of citrus (orange, lemon or grapefruit) rind for flavour.
Mate cocido (with milk)
Put one or two tablespoons of yerba mate into a pot with two cups of water. Bring to boil for 2 min, then add one cup of water and let it sit for a while. Strain the yerba mate and drink it as you would normal tea. You can add milk, sugar or honey to taste. Alternatively, you can also prepare it in a tea pot as you normally do with tea.
Mate with whisky
I´m not kidding! This is surprisingly good and tasty. Follow the instructions for mate "dulce" then add a half shot or so of whisky to your mate before pouring the hot water. You will be delightfully surprised! A very popular drink at parties. You can also prepare it with vodka or rum.
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Mate Cordobés
Prepare it as normal, then add honey (manuka is the best!) and some peppermint leaves.
Tereré (to cool down your day)
This is the perfect tea for cooling down on a hot day. (Yerba Mate is an antiphiritic-which means it helps to cool the body down when temperatures rise.). Prepare your mate cebado as usual, but now instead of pouring hot water, use orange, lemmon or cold grapefruit juicies mixed with ice-cold water.
Mate-latte
One cup of yerba mate concentrate (brew 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of yerba mate)
Half a cup of steamed milk of choice
Sweetener (sugar, honey, or maple syrup)
Brew the Yerba Mate, add sweetener (sugar, honey, or maple syrup) to taste and the steamed milk of choice. Top off with milk foam.
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Coconut water mate
•1 cup brewed Traditional yerba mate
•1 /2 cup coconut water (fresh or can/tetra-pack)
1. Brew the mate
2. Add ice to cool, then add coconut water, serve and enjoy!
Ginger Mate Spritzer
Sweet and spicy
•1 1/3 cups traditional brewed yerba mate
•1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
•2 2/3 cups chilled ginger ale
• Ice cubes
1. Combine ginger and yerba mate while still hot and refrigerate for at least three hours.
2. Strain and discard ginger. Pour yerba mate and ginger ale into ice filled glasses, drink!
Mate Lemonade
•1 1/3 cups Traditional brewed yerba mate
•1 cup organic lemonade (or fresh lemon & sweetener of choice)
•Ice cubes
1. Brew the mate
2. Add ice to cool, then add lemon juice, and serve.
Yerba mate blending options
According to traditional Guarani herb-lore, yerba mate acts as a catalyst to enhance the properties of other herbs. Many blends are available on the market. You can also acquire your own herbs and experiment. The bombilla is a great tool for trying out your own unique concoctions. Try mixing with verbena, peppermint, lemmon grind, tea, greeen tea or even a bit of coffee.
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Want to impress your guests? Bored with traditional recipes?....Try one or all of these yerba mate recipes and enjoy a delicate and novel taste!
Fried fish in yerba mate tempura over a rosti of kumara
This recipe was designed by chef Carlos Evert Carlsson from Oberá Misiones, who was the winner of the National Gastronomic Contest (source http://www.clubdelmate.com/recomendados)
Ingredients
100 gr diced fish
200 gr flour
200 cc cold mate cocido*
1 egg
2 tsp corn flour
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 large kumara
1 tsp sugar
1 pink grapefruit
1 orange
1 purple onion
1 banana
Pepper in grains
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
Butter
Preparation
* Prepare mate cocido by boiling 1 cup of water and then adding 1 table spoon of yerba mate. Leave to set for 5 min and then strain. Put in the fridge to cool down. Prepare the tempura by mixing the cold yerba mate concentrate, the egg and slowly add the flour, beat well and add the salt, sugar and baking powder. Put this mix in the fridge, it has to be cold for the next step. Cut the fish in dices of approximately 3x2 cm, season with pepper and salt, put in the fridge. Grate the kumara, and heat some butter in a fry pan, add the kumara and cook until tender add more butter if necessary. Cut the onion in small rings and soak it in the orange juice (this will soften the taste). Cut the grapefruit in rings. Slice the grapefruit and prepare the plate combining the onion rings with the grapefruit, sprinkle some olive oil, pepper in grains and salt. Add the fried kumara in the middle of the plate.
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Dip the dices of fish in the tempura preparation and fry them for approximately 3 minutes until cooked. Place the fish on top of the fried kumara. Fry the banana and place it on top of the fried fish. Decorate with orange and peppermint.
Delicious Yerba mate muffins (recipe obtained from Club del Mate)
Ingredients for the muffins
• 1 cup of sugar
• 100 of butter
• 2 cup of self-rising flower
• Orange pulp
• 2 eggs
• Vanilla essence
Ingredients yerba mate infusion
• 100 g yerba mate
• 300 cc of water
• 50 g of sugar
First you need to prepare the yerba mate infusion as follow:
In a saucepan place the sugar and the yerba mate. Heat for a while and then add the boiling water. Allow to boil for five minutes. Remove and strain. Place in a cup and leave to cool down. If it is not enough to fill a cup, pour this mixture into the pan, add more water and boil for five minutes. Strain again. This infusion must be very concentrated.
Muffin preparation
Place the butter and sugar in a bowl, beat and add the eggs. Then add the cold yerba mate infusion, the vanilla essence and orange pulp. Beat until the mixture is uniform. Sift the flour and milk powder and add this to the mixture. Mix all the ingredients until obtaining a smooth paste. Preheat the oven. In a non-sticky muffin pan pour the mixture and cook at moderate temperature for about 20 minutes. Serve cool and enjoy with a mate tea!
In a pot at moderate fire, cook the yerba mate with the milk until the milk reduces to half its size. Strain this mixture until no traces of yerba mate are found. Add sugar, butter and glucose. Cook in a pot, continuously mixing to avoid burning the mixture, until the preparation is soft but dense. Pour in an oven tray and let cool down. Cut the toffees and give them a rounded or square shape. Wrap them in paper and enjoy!
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Delicious Yerba mate toffees (recipe obtained from Club del Mate)
Ingredients
• 50 g yerba mate
• 1/2 liter of milk
• 500 g of sugar
• 50 g butter
• 1 tablespoon of glucose
In a pot at moderate fire, cook the yerba mate with the milk until the milk reduces to half its size. Strain this mixture until no traces of yerba mate are found. Add sugar, butter and glucose. Cook in a pot, continuously mixing to avoid burning the mixture, until the preparation is soft but dense. Pour in an oven tray and let cool down. Cut the toffees and give them a rounded or square shape. Wrap them in paper and enjoy!