Chimarrão is the Brazilian version of Argentina’s favorite drink, Yerba Maté. It’s an extremely popular drink in Southern Brazil. Chimarrao has plenty of health benefits, such as its anti-oxidant and other nutrient content. The scientific name is “Ilex Paraguariensis“. The term “Erva mate” (Portuguese translation of “Yerba Mate”) is often used in Brazil, along with “Chimarrao“.
In this recipe, we’ll combine this unique tea with some of the best Green Smoothie Ingredients.
Contents
Iced Yerba Mate Vs Hot Chimarrao
Iced Yerba Mate / Chimarrao tea is a popular drink particularly in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Plus, to a lesser degree in Belo Horizonte, where locals prefer sugarcane juice.
Brazilian Erva Mate farms are mostly found in the area around Porto Alegre. In the southern Gaucho state of Rio Grande do Sul, locals only drink Chimarrão as a hot tea with the traditional Mate Gourd and Bombilla. However, in the central region of Brazil, the climate is very warm throughout the year. There they drink yerba mate as an iced tea instead, often with sugar added. It’s not too different from the bottled Yerba Mate Drink of Berlin. However, in Brazil, it’s freshly prepared at the cafeterias with their tea fountains. You can choose extra ingredients such as a lemon juice or mint-infusion.
Chimarrao Smoothie Directions
First I brew the Chimarrao Tea. Once again, you can also use Yerba Mate. Chimarrao is simply more green and fresh than Yerba Mate. And its a finer cut of the leaf, almost a powder. Nevertheless, I use Moida Grossa (coarsely ground) Chimarrão which contains a few thicker cut pieces of leaf and stems, along with the powder.
Next, I strain the tea through a tea filter. There are plenty of ways to brew and filter tea (including the French Press). Use any way which you prefer.
So I end up with 1 liter of Hot Chimarrao. To cool it down, I add a cup of ice. What further helps is that my strawberries are frozen. It’s winter in Cape Town, and not quite strawberry season yet. Otherwise, you could simply cool down the tea in the freezer.
I rinse the frozen strawberries. Then add around 250grams of strawberries to the 1 liter of Chimarrao Tea. I don’t want a too thick smoothie. For this recipe, I prefer simply a light “infusion” of strawberries.
Of course, I’m well aware of green smoothie health benefits. Thus, I never miss an opportunity to add something green to my smoothie or juice. At my current accommodation, there is a batch of fresh organic spinach leaves growing outside in the garden, so I go and get 4 large spinach leaves. I remove the large top end of the white vein of the leaf (although you could leave it in for extra fiber). And add the leaves to the blender. The more spinach leaves you add, the healthier the smoothie. However, the color of the smoothie becomes less alluring and brownish, with each extra spinach leaf.
It’s up to you how you want to sweeten the drink. The Strawberries already imbue a sweet taste, but I add an extra cup of dates. Plus a few drops of Stevia. This is adequate to make the smoothie more palatable and good tasting. Of course, Stevia is great for low-carb Keto Diet followers as well. You can definitely also add some honey or maple syrup.
Bonus Tips
Squeeze a fresh lemon into the drink for added health and detox benefits (along with boosting the taste). Plus, I had a piece of turmeric root lying around in the kitchen and chucked it into the blender as well. It’s great for anti-aging and brain health, although fresh turmeric is hard to find sometimes. You could also add a slice of ginger, which promotes digestive health.
It is true that while blending, you can basically combine any fresh plant ingredients. Smoothie Recipes are not complicated. Moreover, you can experiment with different quantities of each ingredient. Nevertheless, it is good to have a few base ingredients and a rough framework to work within, such as above.
If you don’t live in South America, it’s easy to order quality Organic Yerba Mate on IHerb, delivered straight to your doorstep, in whichever country you live.
Ingredients Summary
- 1 Liter of purified water
- a couple of heaped tablespoons of Chimarrão or dried Yerba Mate Tea
- a cup of dates / a few drops of Stevia / Honey / or another suitable alternative sweetener
- 4 large spinach leaves
- 250 grams of strawberries
- a cup of Ice
- Optional: a slice of Turmeric, Ginger, or Lemon
Below is the updated December 2023 video version of this blogpost. I made a few small modifications to the recipe, based on my own changing preferences. Such as adding a frozen banana.
If you tried this Chimarrao tea green smoothie, or have any further questions or tips, comment below!
Save this Recipe to Yummly:
Yum