Canary Islands

Canarias Tradicional is Uruguay's best-selling yerba mate and represents the peak of Uruguayan mate excellence, with a powerful, full flavour. This yerba has a finely cut despalada style (without stems) and delivers strong, long-lasting infusions thanks to traditional barbacuá drying and 4-6 months of ageing. Its characteristic powder-rich composition is what produces the explosive flavour and invigorating effect that made Canarias the most dominant mate brand in Uruguay.

What does Canarias Traditional taste like?

Canarias Tradicional tastes powerful and pronounced, earthy and dusty, with notes of roasted nuts and toast balanced by a pleasant sweetness and rich shades of dark chocolate. The aroma is very woody and herbal, with a rich, dark earthiness and fresh notes of hay that together create an aged, fragrant complexity. The flavour offers a strong, bitter and earthy character with a light natural sweetness and a soft, clean, refreshing finish that stays remarkably well balanced despite the intensity.

About the producer

Canarias is produced by CAFES LA VIRGINIA S.A. in Uruguay and manufactured by Baldo S.A. in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with leaves grown in the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. The name Canarias refers to the significant historical emigration of Canary Islanders to Uruguay, who were taken up as "the founding families in the formation of Uruguay".

How do you drink Canarias Traditional?

You prepare Canarias Tradicional the same way as other yerba mate: fill your gourd two thirds with the finely cut despalada yerba, pour in hot water at 70-80°C, place the bombilla and drink. Ideally you drink this through a bombilla with a very fine filter, since the fine, powdery composition can clog traditional bombillas.

Canarias Serena is a compuesta (herb-enriched) yerba mate offering a softer, more balanced alternative to the powerful Traditional. This distinctive blend combines Canarias yerba mate with linden blossom, passionflower, mint and lemon balm, creating a calming mixture with no harshness, no bitterness and entirely free of sourness. The Uruguayan identity is preserved throughout, but in a milder register — ideal for anyone after a smoother experience with the benefits of herbs.

What does Canarias Serena taste like?

Canarias Serena tastes creamy, of chocolate, bread and dough, with a velvet-soft full body without harshness, less bitterness and absolutely no sourness. The herbs add an extra layer: passionflower brings grassy and earthy notes, linden blossom contributes floral and sweet nuances, while mint and lemon balm provide freshness and a light citrus brightness. The overall profile combines a powerful, earthy character with refreshing herbal undertones, subtle mint and citrus accents and a clean, calming finish.

About the producer

Canarias Serena grows out of the commitment of CAFES LA VIRGINIA S.A. to product diversity within the Uruguayan market. This herbal blend combines the traditional Canarias yerba mate with 100% natural ingredients and no artificial additions, upholding the quality standards that made Canarias the market leader. Like the Traditional, this blend ages for 4-6 months, which softens the flavours further and lets the herbs merge completely with the yerba mate base.

How do you drink Canarias Serena?

You prepare Canarias Serena the same way as other Canarias varieties: fill your gourd two thirds, pour in hot water at 70-80°C, place the bombilla and drink. The calming herbal blend works excellently both as hot mate and as cold tereré, which makes it suitable for any season. The herbs also support comfortable digestion alongside the flavour experience, making this blend very well suited to drinking every day.

Canarias Edición Especial is a premium variety made from selected leaves aged longer than in the standard process, which gives it a softer and more complex flavour profile. Only the finest leaves from Brazilian forests are used, and they go through an extended ageing period to create a refined tasting experience.

What does Canarias Edicion Especial taste like?

Canarias Edición Especial tastes soft, creamy and buttery, with malty and grainy notes that recall unsweetened breakfast cereal throughout the experience. The aroma is pleasantly aged and fragrant, with a woody, herbal nose comparable to palo santo sawdust, rounded out by pine and resinous aromas and possibly cedar. The flavour development begins with powerful notes of toasted bread and almond butter that dominate the first refills, after which the profile moves towards the taste of diluted black coffee as the mate develops further.

About the producer

Edición Especial represents Canarias's commitment to a premium expression within their traditional line. The production process follows strict quality controls in line with good manufacturing practice, with experienced tasters assessing quality from raw material through to finished product. This special edition reflects the producer's dedication to a level of quality that goes beyond commercial requirements.

How do you drink Canarias Edicion Especial?

You prepare Canarias Edición Especial the same way as traditional Canarias, but the exceptionally fine, powdery cut calls for a more careful technique: fill your gourd two thirds with this special selection, pour in hot water (70-80°C), place the bombilla (preferably one with a very fine filter) and enjoy. You can refill up to 25 times or more before the flavour begins to fade.

Canarias Té Verde y Jengibre combines Uruguayan yerba mate with green tea and ground ginger, creating incredibly aromatic and flavorful blend with unique, very original taste. The green tea selection provides antioxidant contribution while ginger aids digestion, delivering sophisticated blend for those seeking lighter mate experience with fresh, spicy-sweet notes and functional wellness properties alongside traditional mate benefits.

What does Canarias Te Verde y Jengibre taste like?

Canarias Té Verde y Jengibre tastes herbal, grassy, and woody with spicy ground ginger note throughout. The ginger character resembles ground ginger with delicate hint of spice and sweetness creating comforting warmth, while the green tea contributes complexity alongside yerba mate base. The medium-bodied profile delivers balanced flavor across all serving temperatures (60-85°C), maintaining consistent herbal, grassy character with distinctive spicy dimension. The overall taste profile creates fresh, spicy-sweet experience comfortable for both traditional hot mate and cold tereré preparations, with green tea antioxidants complementing yerba mate's natural benefits.

About the manufacturer

Té Verde y Jengibre comes from Canarias' exploration of complementary herbal and botanical blends beyond traditional offerings. The combination of Uruguayan yerba mate (P.U.1 cut) with selected green tea and ground ginger represents thoughtful ingredient pairing for both flavor and functional benefit. The blend maintains quality standards established by CAFES LA VIRGINIA S.A., ensuring consistency and genuine ingredient integration without artificial character.

How do you prepare Canarias Te Verde y Jengibre?

Canarias Té Verde y Jengibre prepares identically to other Canarias variants: fill your gourd two-thirds full, pour hot water (70-80°C), insert the bombilla, and drink. The blend works equally well as traditional hot mate and cold tereré, maintaining flavor balance across temperature ranges. The green tea and ginger components support digestive wellness alongside flavor, making it ideal for health-conscious consumption. The fine Uruguayan cut (P.U.1) with associated dust content requires hook or spoon bombillas to prevent clogging, but rewards proper preparation with distinctive taste combining yerba mate boldness with complementary botanical brightness.