Guayakí vs Cruz de Malta: Which Yerba Mate Should You Buy?
Organic and unsmoked vs classic and smoked — two of the most-bought yerba mates, head to head on smoke, certification, price, and who each one is for.
By The Yerba Mate Reviews Desk · 8 min · Updated 2026-06-14
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Guayakí and Cruz de Malta are both smooth, con-palo (with stems) yerba mates — but they split on the two things that matter most. Guayakí is organic and unsmoked (air-dried), widely available, and pricier per pound. Cruz de Malta is conventional and smoked, a classic Argentine label that's cheaper by the kilo.
Put simply: choose Guayakí if you want a clean, smoke-free, certified-organic mate you can find anywhere; choose Cruz de Malta if you want the traditional, lightly-smoky Argentine cup at the best price per kilo. Both are smooth and forgiving thanks to the stems, so this isn't a beginner-vs-expert split — it's smoke and certification vs price.
Here's exactly how they differ, with a side-by-side table, so you can pick the right one for your gourd.
The short version
- Guayakí = organic + unsmoked (air-dried) + con palo + widely available, but pricier per pound.
- Cruz de Malta = conventional + smoked + con palo + classic Argentine, and cheaper by the kilo.
- Both are con palo (with stems), so both are smooth, low-bitterness, and beginner-forgiving.
- The real fork is smoke: Guayakí is clean and green; Cruz de Malta carries a traditional smoky note.
- Price: Cruz de Malta's 1kg bags are the value play; Guayakí costs more but is organic and Fair Trade.
- Availability: Guayakí is stocked at most grocery stores; Cruz de Malta is usually an online/specialty buy.
- Pick Guayakí for clean + organic + convenient; pick Cruz de Malta for traditional flavor at the lowest cost.
| Guayakí | Cruz de Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin / style | Argentine, con palo | Argentine, con palo |
| Smoke | Unsmoked (air-dried) | Smoked (wood-fire-dried) |
| Flavor | Clean, green, smooth | Smooth, traditional, lightly smoky |
| Certification | USDA Organic + Fair Trade | Conventional (not organic) |
| Price | Higher per pound | Lower per kilo (value) |
| Availability | Most grocery stores + online | Mostly online / specialty |
| Formats | Loose leaf, tea bags, cans | Loose leaf (1kg bags) |
| Best for | Clean, organic, convenient | Traditional flavor at low cost |
Guayakí vs Cruz de Malta — same con-palo smoothness, split on smoke, certification, and price.
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Question 1 of 6
First things first — what are you after with yerba mate?
The short answer
Buy Guayakí if you want a clean, unsmoked, certified-organic mate you can find almost anywhere. Buy Cruz de Malta if you want the classic, lightly-smoky Argentine cup at the best price per kilo.
Both are con palo (blended with stems), which means both brew a smooth, forgiving, low-bitterness cup — neither is a harsh expert-only mate. So the decision isn't about strength. It comes down to three things: do you want smoke or not, do you want organic certification, and how much do you care about price and availability. The table above lays it out; the sections below explain why each difference matters.
Smoke: the biggest flavor difference
This is the fork that actually changes the cup. Guayakí is unsmoked — air-dried — so it tastes clean and green, with no campfire note. Cruz de Malta is smoked, dried in the traditional Argentine way over a wood fire, so it carries a toasty, lightly-smoky flavor. Neither is 'better'; it's a preference.
If you've tried mate before and didn't enjoy a smoky taste, Guayakí's air-dried profile is the safer choice. If you grew up on traditional mate or you like that toasty depth, Cruz de Malta's smoke is part of its appeal. Cruz de Malta's smoke is moderate and balanced — present, not aggressive — so it's a gentle introduction to smoked mate rather than an intense one.
Certification, price, and availability
Guayakí is USDA Organic and Fair Trade, rainforest-grown, and it comes in loose leaf, tea bags, and cans — and it's stocked at most grocery stores, so you can grab it in person and never run out. The trade-off is price: it costs more per pound than the big imported bags.
Cruz de Malta is conventional (not organic) and sold mainly as 1kg loose-leaf bags, which makes it one of the best values in mate — a fraction per serving of boutique pouches. It's usually an online or specialty-shop buy rather than a grocery-store grab. If your priority is the cheapest path to authentic Argentine mate and you don't need an organic label, Cruz de Malta wins on cost.
Which should you drink?
Choose Guayakí if you want a clean, smoke-free, certified-organic mate, you value being able to buy it anywhere (in loose leaf, bags, or cans), and you're willing to pay a bit more for it. It's the convenient, clean, modern choice.
Choose Cruz de Malta if you want the traditional, lightly-smoky Argentine flavor, you're buying by the kilo to keep a daily habit cheap, and an organic label isn't a priority. It's the authentic, best-value choice. Many drinkers keep both: Guayakí for everyday convenience, Cruz de Malta as the economical kilo in the cupboard.
Questions, answered
Is Guayakí or Cruz de Malta better?
Neither is strictly better — they suit different priorities. Guayakí is organic, unsmoked, and widely available but pricier; Cruz de Malta is conventional, smoked, classic Argentine, and cheaper by the kilo. Choose Guayakí for a clean, organic, convenient mate; choose Cruz de Malta for traditional smoky flavor at the best value. Both are con palo and smooth.
What's the main difference between Guayakí and Cruz de Malta?
Smoke and certification. Guayakí is air-dried (unsmoked), so it tastes clean and green, and it's USDA Organic and Fair Trade. Cruz de Malta is smoke-dried in the traditional Argentine way, so it carries a lightly smoky flavor, and it's conventional (not organic). Both are con palo (with stems), so both brew a smooth, forgiving cup.
Is Guayakí smoked or unsmoked?
Guayakí's traditional loose leaf is unsmoked — it's air-dried, so the leaf never picks up a smoky flavor and the cup tastes clean and green. That's a key contrast with Cruz de Malta, which is smoke-dried over a wood fire and carries a traditional toasty, lightly-smoky note.
Which is cheaper, Guayakí or Cruz de Malta?
Cruz de Malta is cheaper. It's sold mainly as 1kg loose-leaf bags at a low per-kilo price, which makes it one of the best values in mate for a daily drinker. Guayakí costs more per pound, but you're paying for organic and Fair Trade certification and the convenience of grocery-store availability.
Is Guayakí organic and is Cruz de Malta?
Guayakí is USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified. Cruz de Malta is a conventional (non-organic) mate. If certified organic is a priority for you, that points to Guayakí; if you mainly care about traditional flavor and price, Cruz de Malta is the value pick.
Are Guayakí and Cruz de Malta good for beginners?
Both are beginner-friendly. They're each con palo (with stems), which makes the cup smoother, less bitter, and more forgiving if you pour your water too hot or pack the gourd too full. Guayakí's unsmoked profile is the gentlest first impression; Cruz de Malta's light smoke is an easy introduction to traditional smoked mate.
Keep reading
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Smoked vs Unsmoked Yerba Mate
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Guayakí Yerba Mate Review
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Cruz de Malta Review
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Con Palo vs Sin Palo: The Yerba Mate Stems Guide
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