Time to Read: 7 minutes
Quick Overview
The difference between smoked and unsmoked yerba mate comes down to drying. Smoked yerba (barbacuá) is dried over wood smoke for a robust, smoky, more bitter flavor. Unsmoked yerba is dried with hot air, tasting cleaner and greener. Here is how each is made, what the research says about safety, and how to choose.
In this article, you'll learn:
- How smoked and unsmoked yerba differ
- How each is produced
- What studies say about smoked yerba and health
- The environmental angle, and how to choose
Yerba mate has been part of South American culture for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years, and given the size of the continent, it is no surprise there are many ways to produce and drink it. One of the most important distinctions in how it is made is smoked versus unsmoked yerba.
What's the difference between smoked and unsmoked yerba mate?
First, a related distinction worth knowing. Yerba is often sorted by stems: “with stems” (con palo, thicker leaf and less dust, popular in Argentina) and “without stems” (despalada, finer leaf, more common in Uruguay). The brewing is the same, but stemless yerba drinks more intensely, since the leaves carry most of the flavor.
Smoked versus unsmoked is a different axis, based on how the yerba is dried. The headline difference is flavor: smoked yerba has a distinctive smoky, toasted, more bitter character. Here is how it gets there.
How is yerba mate made, and where does smoking happen?
Production starts by growing the plant in a nursery for 9 to 12 months before moving it to the field. The main growing regions are Corrientes and Misiones in northeastern Argentina, where you can even tour the Yerba Mate Route.
About four years in, the plant is ready to harvest, ideally in the southern autumn and winter (April to September), when the leaves are mature.
Once harvested, the leaves go through heating to lower their moisture and drive off aromas that would otherwise spoil the flavor. This drying stage, called secado, is exactly where it is decided whether the yerba will be smoked or unsmoked. Before it comes sapeco (Guaraní for “opening the eye”), a rapid pass of the leaves over a flame that makes them crackle as excess water and gases escape.
If the producer smokes the yerba, the result is barbacuá, Guaraní for “smoked” or “toasted.”
For barbacuá, the secado runs at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius (140 to 160 Fahrenheit) and takes longer than for unsmoked yerba, from about 12 hours up to three days depending on the producer. The brand La Merced, for example, makes barbacuá dried slowly over a low fire and aged close to a year, which gives it a robust, smoky flavor and high bitterness.
Is smoked yerba mate bad for your health?
Some research has raised questions about smoked yerba, because drying over burning wood can produce compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs form from the incomplete combustion of things like wood, coal, or gas, and the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry notes that burning wood is one way PAHs enter the environment. So it is reasonable to expect some to end up in smoked yerba.
The reassuring part is what testing has found. One study measuring PAHs in yerba mate reported that while several PAHs were detectable, the most harmful one (BaP) did not exceed the World Health Organization's suggested limit for drinking water in any of the infusions tested.
There is also the cancer question. Some studies have noted a link between mate and esophageal cancer, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded the likely cause is the very high temperature the drink is often consumed at, not the plant itself. Any drink above about 65°C (149°F) can irritate the esophagus, and the IARC found no link between cancer and mate drunk at cold or warm temperatures. Our guide on the best water temperature for yerba mate covers this in detail.
On the other side, Argentina's National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM) highlights mate's antioxidant polyphenols and points to a range of possible benefits, from supporting the body's defenses to helping with weight management. As with any single source, these are broad claims and the research is still developing, so they are best taken as encouraging rather than definitive.
Good to Know
The clearest, best-supported takeaway is about temperature, not smoking: enjoy mate hot but not scalding. This article is for general information and is not medical advice.
What about the environmental impact?
Smoke-drying has an environmental cost, since it constantly needs wood for combustion, which contributes to deforestation. The Gran Chaco, spanning parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, has seen significant deforestation since the 1980s, though much of that is driven by farming and other uses rather than yerba alone.
It is not all bad news. The UN reports that global deforestation has slowed in recent years, and Argentina's National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) has proposed reforestation with wood grown specifically to fuel the drying process.
So which should you choose?
If you love a bold, smoky, bitter cup, barbacuá is a treat. If the health or environmental questions give you pause, the simplest move is to choose a certified organic, air-dried yerba, which takes smoking out of the equation entirely. We are big fans of Anna Park Organic Yerba Mate as an air-dried option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between smoked and unsmoked yerba mate?
Smoked yerba (barbacuá) is dried over wood smoke, giving a robust, smoky, more bitter flavor. Unsmoked yerba is dried with hot air, so it tastes cleaner and greener.
Is smoked yerba mate safe to drink?
Testing has generally found only small amounts of PAHs, within safety limits, and the main cancer link is to very hot drinking temperature, not the leaf. If you would rather avoid the question, choose organic air-dried yerba.
What is barbacuá yerba mate?
Barbacuá is Guaraní for “smoked” or “toasted.” It is yerba slow-dried over wood smoke, giving it a bold, smoky character.
Is unsmoked yerba better for the environment?
Air-drying avoids the firewood that smoke-drying needs, so it sidesteps the deforestation concern tied to smoking.
Try both and taste the difference
The best way to understand smoked versus unsmoked is to taste them side by side. Explore our yerba mate selection to find your style.