What country produces the most mate?
Mate is most popular in Paraguay and Uruguay. In Uruguay, the largest consumer, 10 kg of mate is consumed annually per capita. Materva is a sweet, carbonated soft drink based on mate developed in Cuba in 1920, and produced since the 1960s in Miami, Florida. Mate contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.
The mate herb originated in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil where indigenous peoples have drunk it for centuries as an energizing beverage with medicinal properties. It is far more than just a drink, it is a social and cultural tradition centered around mate circles. The art of sharing mate has been passed down through generations and commonplace mate etiquette remains important today.
Mate Production Process
Mate is produced from holly leaves from an evergreen plant native to only a few regions in South America. The best tasting mate comes from leaves grown in the shade of the rainforest. Argentinian brands range from strong and robust to light, sweet, and super mild with notes of earth, wood, grass, florals, honey, bread, and smoke.
Argentina is the main producer and exporter of mate harvesting 837 million kg of green leaves in 2019. As a result, almost 40 million kilos of mate were exported with Argentina the first exporting country followed by Brazil. Regarding processed and packaged mate for domestic consumption, 277 million kilos were sent to supermarkets and wholesalers in Argentina in 2019.
The mate plant produces small fruit berries that flower into greenish white flowers. The leaves and tender stems are often hand picked then dried in a controlled environment. The plant thrives in climates similar to its native South America. It can be grown as a pot plant indoors in other regions.
Mate Consumption and Effects
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Is mate grown in the US?
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Ilex paraguariensis is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the subtropical forests of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina that can grow up to forty-nine feet tall.
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Mate promotes healthy digestion by increasing the secretion of stomach acids and bile, mate works effectively to soften stool and stimulate regular bowel movements. There is 150mg naturally occurring caffeine per can of mate.
The plant can grow in different settings, but the best tasting mate comes from leaves that have been grown in the shade of the rainforest. When it has not been grown directly in the sun, its leaves are more flavorful and nutrient-rich.
Mate consumption in Argentina rises up to 14 pounds a year per capita. It is ingested in 90% of the country’s households.
About 90% of Argentinian mate is produced in the province of Misiones and the rest is produced in Corrientes province. Mate contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.
When grown in the wild, its leaves are harvested only every other year.
Mate Varieties
Yerba mate comes in all different colors, tastes, strengths, cuts, and even effects. And this variation comes from the way each type of yerba mate is harvested, processed, and aged.
The harvest of yerba mate is a combination of tradition and technology. The leaves are harvested only at the perfect time, when they are ripe, to ensure that yerba mate of the highest quality is being produced.
But the most common way of drinking yerba mate is to continuously sip it, for several hours and adding more leaves pr water as necessary. Each steep releases more flavor and nutrients from the mate, so this really is a drink you can pull on all day.