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Mate de muña
Andean mint tea
Mate de muña: Andean wild mint steeped into a clear, peppery after-dinner tea
Muña is the minty shrub that grows wild on the slopes around Cusco, Puno and the Sacred Valley, and highland cooks reach for it after a heavy meal of chicharrón or when visitors are struggling with the altitude. Market herb sellers sell it in fresh bunches, and hotels and homes leave it in a flask for anyone coming in from the cold evenings. Steeped simply in hot water, it smells somewhere between spearmint, oregano and pennyroyal, with a cooling, slightly peppery taste and a pale green-gold colour. It is traditionally drunk to settle the stomach. The usual mistake is boiling the leaves hard for a long time, which turns the tea brown and bitter. Pour water just off the boil over the sprigs, cover, and let it steep. It is ready when the cup is pale gold and the aroma rises as soon as you lift the lid. Outside Peru, look for dried muña in Latin shops; failing that, use mostly spearmint with a little fresh oregano. Muña is strong: avoid large amounts in pregnancy, and check with a doctor if you take regular medication. Chef's tip: cover the cup while it steeps so the scented oils stay in the tea.
- Total time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the tea
- 6 fresh muña sprigsor 2 tsp dried; or 5 spearmint sprigs plus 1 small oregano sprig
- 2 cups water
To serve
- 2 tsp sugar or panela (optional)
- 2 lemon slices (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse the 6 fresh muña sprigs and divide it between two cups or a small teapot.
1 minStep 2: Bring 2 cups water to the boil, then let it stand 30 seconds so it is just off the boil.
3 minStep 3: Pour over the sprigs, cover and steep until the tea is pale gold and strongly fragrant.
5 minStep 4: Remove the sprigs, sweeten with 2 tsp sugar or panela and add 2 lemon slices if you like, and drink hot after the meal.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 5 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mate de muña take?
- About 8 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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