Way of the Gaucho

Folks, we're back to talking about yerba mate and our passion for it! We sure wish we could talk about yerba mate all day, but we also have families and jobs that take up our time. Much like creating a podcast for fun, yerba mate helps to keep us sane and grounded. It's why we decided to make this episode about yerba mate for mental health. Our discussion about yerba mate is based on our own individual experiences. However, mental health is a pretty complex topic and we are not specialists, so be sure to seek qualified care as needed. Note: If you are an individual seeking help due to a mental health or substance abuse concern, please consider calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential, free, 24-hours-a-day, information service in English or Spanish. Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, and Casey P.S. Sorry about the audio problems.

"There is high enjoyment in the independence of the Gaucho life -- to be able at any moment to pull up your horse, and say, 'Here we will pass the night.'" - Charles Darwin In this episode of Way of the Gaucho, we talk about how yerba mate helps fuel an adventurous spirit like that of the gauchos of old. We also spend a lot of time letting Casey talk about his recent epic escapade into the snowy Idaho wilderness. Check it out! Gracias y gracias, Ryan, David, and Casey

There's no wrong kind of music to drink with yerba mate. However, there are certain kinds of music that are simply not the same without the beverage in hand. Carlos Gardel, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Soda Stereo, and more! In this episode, we talk about yerba mate and all our favorite music from Argentina including tango, folklore, and rock. If you're unfamiliar with the latter, you might want to check out Netflix's series "Break it All: The History of Rock in Latin America. Enjoy! Gracias y gracias, David, Ryan, and Casey

Happy holidays to all! Merry Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Festivus! In this episode of the Way of the Gaucho podcast, we talk about some of our favorite South American traditions and holiday-themed foods that go with yerba mate. Spoiler alert: we spend a good amount of time talking about "Pan Dulce" (aka Panettone). If you like fruit cake and haven't tried this Italian-originated treat with yerba mate, then you should! We also talk a bit about the differences in the way Christmas is celebrated in the USA as compared to Argentina, namely such as lighting fireworks at midnight and giving gifts on Three Kings Day on Jan 6. Hope you enjoy it! Gracias y gracias, Ryan, Casey, and David

In this episode, we talk about our own experiences with Día De La Tradicíon (Argentina's "Tradition Day"). It's a special day to celebrate José Hernández's birthday and all things "gaucho" traditions and culture. The day is often celebrated with "folklore" music, food of all sorts including humitas and locro, and (of course!) yerba mate! Hope you enjoy! Side note: apologies for some of the tech difficulties on this podcast. Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, and Casey

Hello listeners! In this podcast episode of Way of the Gaucho, we talk all about how nice it is to be drinking mate outdoors during the fall season across the country. David talks about the annual "mateada" in Central Park of New York City, Ryan talks about cooler weather at higher elevation in rural Utah, and Casey talks about mate in the Idaho backcountry. We reminisce over the former joys of having to hear for the kettle to have hot water ready and complain about how we're so coddled with the technology of today. If there's one takeaway from this episode, it's that you should take advantage of yerba mate to disconnect from social media and to socialize for real with real people! Finally, we do go through some FAQ such as "Will yerba mate make you high?" (you may not like the answer) and "How much caffeine is in yerba mate." Enjoy! GRACIAS Y GRACIAS - David, Ryan, and Casey

Happy "Día Del Niño" (Children's Day) in Argentina! For this podcast episode, we talk about all the ways to introduce yerba mate to the children in your life. We go over all the basics: the use of sugar and milk, to using special mate tea sets, to how to share with kids from your own gourd. We also talk about how each of us and our kids were introduced to yerba mate too. Plus, we love our listeners who reach out to us and share our podcast - a big shoutout to Frank! Hope you all enjoy! Gracias y gracias! - Ryan, Casey, and David

In this episode, David goes a bit off topic to reflect on Lionel Messi's journey from being a "pibe del barrio" (a neighborhood kid) from Rosario, Argentina to uncontested GOAT with six Ballon d'Ors at Barcelona. A large part of the reason why yerba mate has gained a lot of attention lately is because of frequent photos of Messi sharing mate with teammates like Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, and countless others. We also tackle a few questions recently asked from Facebook's "Yerba Mate Underground" group such as how fast/slow you should drink mate from a gourd, plus how to keep leaves and fine particles from ending up in your mouth. Note: Unfortunately, this episode abruptly ended as Casey was talking about handling speed of sipping mate. We will follow up with more discussion on the topic! - Ryan, Casey, and David

Wondering what foods go well with mate? There are no wrong answers. Then again, mate with fish is just wrong! In this episode, we talk about some of the traditional Argentine foods (like facturas) that go with mate, plus some of our own favorite discovered pairings from around the world (like baklava). Enjoy! -David, Ryan, Casey

Can yerba mate be used for meditation and focus? In this episode, we talk about use of yerba mate for help in grounding us, and fueling inspiration and creativity in writing. We also talk about how mate can be used as a healthy habit or social drink in place of drinking alcohol or smoking. Enjoy! -Casey, Ryan, David

There may be no better way to enjoy yerba mate truly than passing it around the campfire! In this episode of the podcast, we talk about yerba mate for camping, backpacking, and more. We also discuss what wild herbs can be foraged to best flavor your mate while enjoying the great outdoors. Enjoy! - Casey, Ryan, David

Planes, trains, automobiles, and yerba mate! In this podcast episode, we talk about our own experiences traveling with yerba mate whether in the air or on land. It's all about bringing the right yerba mate gourd and the right thermos. Topics covered: - Yerba mate on the road - Yerba mate in airports - Yerba mate in hotel rooms - Yerba mate when backpacking Hope you enjoy! Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, Casey

"Chimarrão" is yerba mate prepared in the style of the "gaúchos" of southern Brazil. In this podcast episode, we invite our first-ever special guest Curtis Evans to teach us how to prepare and drink it. We also talk about what makes chimarrão different than Argentine-style drinking of yerba mate.

You could say this episode took a weird turn...as in, toward the bathroom. In this episode, we talk about how yerba mate can help keep you both regular and fit via better workouts. We go into our own experiences using mate at the gym, on the pitch, and at the climbing wall. What are some benefits of mate for athletes? The naturally caffeinated beverage provides steady energy, alertness, reduced perception of effort, and endurance. There's good reason why a lot of pro athletes prefer mate over other caffeinated beverages. Most well known are Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, and Antoine Griezmann who frequently drink mate, but there are also several others like ultra runner Scott Jurek, pro skier Laurenne Ross, and rumors are that Tom Brady might also sip once and a while from Gisele's gourd. You also get to learn a bit about Argentine culture and how soccer players insult each other with yerba mate-related phrases. Hope you enjoy! (Apologies for the technical difficulties on this episode.) - David, Ryan, and Casey

Hi listeners, In this episode, we explore everything we know about tereré (aka "cold mate). We talk about how it's prepared traditionally in the culture of Poha ñana and in a guampa (a bull horn), plus the many various styles of how it's prepared today. Of course, we also talk about our own experiences drinking tereré with friends and family. Plus, we have a good discussion about different styles of yerba to use with tereré, bombillas (fanned, spooned, and spring-loaded), and some tricks on how to keep your straw from being plugged up. We also talk about Russian tereré (and Russian salad) and how to make tereré from mate cocido (brewed mate). Jahápy ja'u terere! (Guaraní translation - "Let's drink tereré!") - Casey, Ryan, and David

In this completely spontaneous episode, we take you through an off-the-cuff history of yerba mate. We discuss yerba mate's indigenous beginnings with the Guaraní, the cultivation of yerba mate with the Jesuits, and the Paraguayan war. Then, we discuss the rise of the gaucho (and its significance to the founding of Argentina), the adoption of yerba mate as part of criollo culture, and how indigenous words became a part of Argentine slang. You also can't learn about yerba mate's history without getting to know a good bit about the history of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay as countries themselves. We sure had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! Gracias y gracias! - Casey, Ryan, and David

What do Gisele Bündchen, Zoe Saldaña, Viggo Mortensen, James Hetfield, Pope Francis, Antoine Griezmann, and Leo Messi all have in common? You guessed it. They are all famous people who sip from a steel straw and gourd. In this episode, we talk about these materos, sightings of other famous people drinking mate, and a few who are rumored to have drunk mate throughout history like Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid. If we missed someone famous who you know drinks mate, please reach out and let us know! - Ryan, Casey, and David

B vitamins, caffeine, theobromine, chlorogenic acid... Want to learn all about what's actually in yerba mate that makes it so healthy for you? In our 5th episode of Way of the Gaucho, brothers Casey, Ryan and David get into why yerba mate should be your go-to caffeinated beverage! Check this episode out to learn all of the following: How hot your water should be when drinking mate The difference between organic yerba vs other kinds The different phytocompounds including antioxidants in yerba mate Yerba mate's health benefits Controversies from epidemiology - remember, correlation is not causation! How much caffeine is in yerba mate How it compares to green tea and coffee Best enjoyed while drinking mate! Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, Casey

Have you ever joined a cebada (a mate circle) and wondered if those around you are judging the way you drink yerba mate? Yeah, they probably are. But don't worry...in this episode, we summarize the top 10+ dos and don'ts of a mate cebada, plus go over a few of our own pet peeves of drinking with others who might not know the unwritten "rules." Best to listen to this episode before drinking with any of us! JK. We're nice. Seriously though, this episode can help you avoid committing any faux pas while drinking yerba mate with anyone from Argentina. Also, if you want to get a look at Ryan's palo santo gourd, head over to our Instagram page at @wayofthegaucho. - David, Ryan, and Casey

New to drinking yerba mate and sharing it with others? This episode (Part 2) is for you. We discuss some of the different yerba types and go into the basics of what to expect from a cebada, or mate circle, including what your responsibilities are as a circle participants or if you are the cebador. This episode is not to be missed if you don't want to look like a fool in front of your Argentine friends! Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, and Casey

Just starting out drinking yerba mate? This episode is for you.  In our second-ever podcast episode (Part 1), we go over some of the basics of choosing the right yerba mate gourd and mate preparation including some tips on what not to do! Because the conversation ran a bit long, we decided to split this episode into two parts. There was so much to say! So stay tuned for Part 2 in the next episode that mainly covers the cebada, or what the proper etiquette is for sharing mate with your Argentine friends. Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, and Casey

We are brothers Casey, Ryan, and David talking about yerba mate as we drink it virtual cebada-style! We introduce yerba mate, our own family's Argentine tradition of drinking mate, what we're drinking now, why we decided to call the podcast "Way of the Gaucho," and what you can expect from this podcast in the future. As mentioned in the episode, you can learn more about El Gaucho Martín Fierro as a literary work in this article written by David at Medium. You can also find photos of our mate gourds and more about us on Instagram. Thanks for listening! Gracias y gracias, - David, Ryan, Casey