Bored With Cafe? These Alternatives Will Make Tesito Time More Interesting

Some weeks you get sick of the same cup of coffee or tea and want something new. For those weeks, you just need something delicious and fun. What are some of the alternatives we’re loving right now that may have also been part of our ancestor’s daily routines?

Yerba Mate:

This delicious tea-like drink is popular in Argentina and other parts of South America. It was originally used by the Guaraní Indigenous people, and has been a staple of the country for 500 years. Go to any bbq or office in Buenos Aires and you’ll see the cute little gourds everywhere. It’s as common as coffee is here. It gives you a very clean caffeine buzz without the coffee crash. Our favorite brand right now? @Annaparkyerbamate. You will not be able to find a more authentic brand that reaches the states, and there isn’t any hint of the smokey flavor that’s usually a problem with lower quality formulas. I keep a gourd with me at all times and refill a few times a day.

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Cacao:

Cacao, which originated in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia (more recently in ecological history, in the Andes), was also loved by Aztec indigenous people. It is made by a method that cold-presses raw cacao beans. Cacao is a superfood and is a delicious and creamy type of chocolatey drink that gives you a slight short-term buzz. Right now we’re loving Navitas brand. Just add a few teaspoonfuls into your mug full of almond or cashew milk and you have a frothy cup of chocolate.

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Matcha Latte:

While it’s not from South America, this still seems like something our familias would have loved long ago (they would have thanked us for introducing them). This Japanese tea is like green tea except it uses the entire leaf. It gives you a very smooth, chill buzz. Lately we have been drinking a little bit at night to help ease us into bedtime. A good trick is to add it to your milk frother machine along with your favorite nut milk. Tea pigs offers easy single-serving packets, which saves you from having to measure out the spoonfuls.

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Maca:

Maca, which originated in Peru, is an adaptogen that’s great for an energy boost that also is said to be a stress buster. We add it to our cacao smoothies or to our homemade chai pudding.