Wow! Maté Tea Recipes
Catch The Maté Buzz
October 4, 2007
By Kerry Dunnington
Photography by Bryan Burris
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Maté is making waves. Recently rated one of the top five cutting-edge food trends by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, maté is a tealike beverage made from the leaves of the yerba maté bush. It is revered in South America for an ability to boost energy and metabolism while also calming nerves. Pixie Maté, a Boulder, Colorado-based company, has been surfing the wave with great success.
I met the founders of Pixie Maté (pro-nounced “mah-tay”), Duane Primozich and T.J. McIntyre, last year when they exhibited their wares at Expo East, the premier natural-foods show that was being held at the
Baltimore Convention Center. I sampled their new line of products and was as wowed by the flavor as I was by the duo’s rakish good looks. Wowed and wooed, I told Primozich and McIntyre that I would develop recipes using products from their line.
Once Primozich and McIntyre discovered the treasured green maté leaves, they set about creating their original maté tea latte, a combination of maté and filtered water, organic cane juice and several zesty spices. The maté tea latte was introduced in Primozich’s and McIntyre’s Pekoe Sip House in Boulder. The maté tea latte was such a hit that the partners were spurred to spread the maté magic to the masses.
Not only did the name “Pixie Maté” stir positive vibes, but the tea’s high antioxidant content stirred interest among the health-conscious. The Pixie Maté container proclaims that the tea offers a “llama-load” of antioxidants — more so than broccoli, orange juice and green tea. Maté also boasts an array of vitamins and minerals.
Used traditionally by people of the South American rainforest, and drunk widely throughout South America, maté is used to enhance sleep, calm nerves and gently arouse a depressed nervous system. Many believe it boosts metabolism and burns calories, too. Unlike coffee, maté is nonaddictive — but it sure won’t leave you drooping. The company’s slogan: “Drink deep. Take flight.”
To make your own Pixie Maté latte, combine equal amounts of maté tea latte with milk (soy, cow, rice or almond) or ice cream (yum!). Serve hot or over ice.
Pixie Maté Chai Latte Muffins
Maté chai latte is one of four varities in the Pixie Maté line of concentrates. Here is a recipe for muffins that my husband and I couldn’t stop eating. They are delicious hot from the oven — and decadent if spread with butter.
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sweet potato, mashed
- ½ cup maté chai latte
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1¼ cups white flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sweet potato, add maté chai latte and canola oil, whisk until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to sweet potato mixture, stir until combined, fold in cranberries and walnuts. Fill muffin cups ¾ full with muffin mixture, bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for about five minutes before removing from tin. Makes 12 muffins.
Pixie Maté Tea Latte Smoothie
I was amazed at the flavor boost that the maté gave a fresh fruit smoothie. The first combination I developed included a banana, one ripe summer peach, frozen cherries (sweet or tart) and the maté tea latte. The rich flavors of cardamom, vanilla and clove were a perfect pairing with this fruit combination.
I tested several types of fruit and found that just about any one works when combined with maté tea latte. Bananas are a good basis for fresh fruit smoothies; they make for a really creamy consistency. Using frozen fruit adds to the creaminess and makes instant, cold smoothies. Organic frozen cherries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are also a good basis. They are convenient and further add to the creaminess — and they provide more antioxidants!
For a 16-ounce smoothie, combine until well blended:
- 1 banana
- 1 peach (sliced frozen peaches work with great results)
- ½ cup frozen cherries
- ½ cup maté tea latte
Kerry Dunnington, a menu and recipe developer, does cooking demonstrations at Whole Foods Markets and other locations. Author of This Book Cooks, Kerry also writes a column for the Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco weekend editions of The Examiner. Kerry’s new cookbook, This Book Cooks Too, will be available soon. Visit www.thisbookcooks.com.
