YERBA MATE-1 kilo/2.2 lb, Rosamonte Despalada Without Stems 2.2 lb/1 kilo

This isn’t a “light” or “smooth” mate for casual sipping — it’s strong, earthy, and has that unmistakable depth that longtime mate drinkers look for. If you enjoy bold, traditional yerba mate rather than something mellow or mild, Rosamonte is a great pick. For me, it works perfectly in the morning or during work when I want a solid energy boost and a comforting ritual.

big leaves, great taste, no headaches and no stems. really high grade stuff.

My daily go-to; add some lychee syrup and I’m good to go!

This has a lot of stems. I usually get the Taragui brand without stems, so that was what I expected. So just don’t expect the Despalada, to mean no stems. See Photo for comparison. Other than that it is good mate. It did arrive quickly as promised.

Just what I wanted. And the price is right. I brew it with green tea for the perfect iced drink. UPDATE: I think I will get the same brand but with the stems included next time I order. That's what I had before and it seems to make a little stronger tea than this. This is a bit more delicate in it's flavor. I'm guessing this is what most people would prefer, but I really, REALLY like that yerba mate flavor and I think it is stonger in the product that includes stems.

Excelente 👍.

One of the delights on my first Andes mountaineering trip was being introduced to mate (as MA in mast and TE in tepid, emphasis on the first) by Argentine fellow montañistas sitting round a campfire under a sky with the Southern Cross. Over the years I had the chance of tasting a number of brands of Argentinian-type yerba mate, and I rate Rosamonte among the top yerbas. The Argentinian yerbas, which may or may not include the tiny stems ['palos'], have a stronger aroma and more yellow-greenish leaves than Brazilian yerbas, which have no stems and green leaves, and do not undergo the post-drying flavor maturation ['estacionamiento'] of Argentinean yerbas. This Rosamonte version has 12 to 18 months of natural (as opposed to accelerated) maturation of medium to fine leaves, and has a low content of leaf powder and of stems. Though labeled "despalada without stem" in this page, keep in mind the Argentinian food code allows up to 10% of stems in despalada labels. Leaves, and not stems, provide the intensity to the mate's flavor so, other things being equal, infusions without stems are stronger than those with stems. To me, this version is particularly good for preparing the tea-like infusion Argentines call 'mate cocido' -- literally cooked mate, as it originated in early times from boiling yerba mate in water and straining the infusion. An oft-recommended proportion for mate cocido is 1 Tbsp of yerba per cup , steeped for 5 minutes in water not hotter than 160° F (when very small bubbles form at the bottom of a heated pan with water), as otherwise the brew becomes too bitter. If you were a serious tea drinker, notice that this temperature is significantly less than those recommended for white and green teas (170° to 185° F), and that yerba brews slower than tea. Yerba infusions are naturally astringent, so it is common to add sugar to them. Of course, this yerba can also be used for the traditional gourd with a bombilla (which will most likely raise many questions at your office, unless you work with Uruguayans), though for that I prefer a different brand. It would be remiss not to mention that all of the above is based on prior experience and not from purchasing this yerba, which is shipped from an Amazon warehouse inventory established by the seller. After ordering this bag of Rosamonte, what I received was a bag of a different yerba sold at a lower price. I requested a Rosamonte replacement. Once more, what I received was the same wrong brand, so I cancelled my order. There is something weird with the inventory of El Pampero, a seller in need to get its rheas in a row. _

I've tried a lot of different yerbas, this one is one of the best. Great taste.