This herbal tea originated in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Indigenous peoples have drunk it for centuries. It is made from dried yerba mate leaves mixed with hot water.
This caffeinated drink is consumed in over 90% of households in Argentina. Argentinians drink it mostly in the mornings and evenings. Recently it has become popular in canned and bottled drinks for convenience. More than a habit, drinking mate brings people emotionally closer. Mate drinking means sharing, chatting and debating. It has a unique flavor and health benefits like antioxidants, lower cholesterol and more vitamins and minerals.
There is an etiquette to drinking mate in a group. The metal straw strains the leaves. The drinker pours hot water only on one side to slowly release the flavor. The mate and straw are passed around between people.
The Syrian and Lebanese prepare mate differently by adding leaves and stirring the drink.
Over time, mate drinking traditions have been passed through generations in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. It is gaining worldwide popularity in places like the US, UK and Australia. It just requires a climate where the yerba mate plant can grow.
This caffeinated herbal tea originally hails from South America, specifically the regions of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil where indigenous peoples have been drinking it for centuries as an energizing beverage with medicinal properties. It may have originated in Argentina, but this herbal tea has now spread far beyond its home country.
Yerba mate consumption in Argentina rises up to 14 pounds a year per capita. It is ingested in 90% of the country’s households. Argentinians usually drink it for breakfast or just before sunset, hot or cold depending on the weather. But it has become increasingly common to drink from cans, bottles, and energy drinks, so it is more convenient to drink on the go, any time of day.
In Argentina, the mate is a popular drink, but it means much more, it is a source of pride for Argentines, an excuse to meet and a custom transmitted by family inheritance. “Shall we drink some mates?” is an invitation to chat. Mate represents sharing, it reduces distances between people, it invites to think, to debate, it is the social drink by excellence.
Yerba mate provides caffeine linked to increased alertness, improved concentration, and enhanced physical performance. It is traditionally drunk from a mate cup with a metallic straw with a filter. You sip it from a metallic or wooden straw with a filter on one end so the leaf pieces don’t go through. After being brewed, the flavor resembles that of green tea.
Yerba mate makes people feel awake, warm, alert, clearer, focused, and happier.
Yerba mate is enjoyed globally, from Argentina to Japan. Mate is a symbol of unity, hospitality, and community in Argentine culture.
South Americans safely drink 1-4 liters yerba mate per day. In United States, Canada, and Europe, yerba mate drinkers consume at least 1-2 liters daily.
Yerba mate is an herbal tea made by steeping leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant in hot water. It contains about 80mg caffeine per cup, like coffee. To brew, pour boiling water over mate leaves and steep 5-6 minutes.
Mate is a caffeine-rich, infused drink made from dried leaves mixed with hot water. It is drunk through a metal straw called a Bombilla that also acts as a sieve.
This organic, fair trade canned mate provides an energizing experience. Each can has 150mg caffeine from organic extract.
Yerba Mate was designed for sharing. The words "Drank, Pass, Fill" form part of this ceremonial experience.
Mate flavor varies greatly by region due to soil quality.
Mate has a diuretic, laxative effect, reduces fluid retention, improves renal function, and helps eliminate toxins. This aids sleep along with its vitamins.
Mate contains PAH, a carcinogen also in grilled meat and tobacco smoke. PAH exposure can affect immune, reproductive, neurological systems.
Drinking mate involves a gourd, straw, hot water, and tea leaves.
Yerba mate is a South American beverage brewed from the Ilex paraguariensis bush. It has nutritional properties and is an important social and cultural tradition.
Yerba mate is a drink made from yerba plant native to parts of South America. The leaves are dried, chopped and steeped in hot water. It has caffeine like coffee or tea. However, yerba mate does not make the drinker jittery and has properties to regulate body systems.
Argentinians usually drink yerba mate in the morning with fruit juice or before sunset, hot or cold. Mate is a symbol of hospitality and community in Argentina, where consumption averages 14 pounds per person yearly. Beyond a habit, sharing mate forges emotional connections.
Yerba mate is growing in global popularity from the Middle East to Japan. It holds significance in parts of South America and indigenous Australian culture. The traditions foster unity.
To drink mate, you need a gourd, straw, hot water, and leaves. The straw strains the leaves so you drink just the infusion. Drinking mate brings people together, but has spread beyond a gourd to cans for convenience.