The infusion originates from the tropical Atlantic rainforests, more specifically in north-east Argentina, Paraguay and the South of Brazil. It grows on the Holly Tree, Ilex Paraguariensis. This tree needs particular conditions to grow.
In Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, people walk the streets carrying the mate and often a thermo (thermal vacuum flask) in their arms. Uruguay is the largest consumer.
Drinking mate is often done in groups, where people gather around a shared gourd (known as ‘mate’) and take turns sipping the tea through a metal straw (called ‘bombilla’). The act of sharing the same mate reinforces bonds.
Besides being an essential part of social life, mate also has health benefits that have made it increasingly popular worldwide. The rich soil where it grows gives it a wide range of vitamins and minerals to boost up metabolism. Weight loss is another associated effect as it has a diuretic effect and reduces appetite.
At the same time, mate’s local success, as opposed to the global fortunes of coffee or tea, reveals how factors such as difficulty of cultivation and cultural patterns of consumption render the travels of plants and people more unpredictable than we tend to think.
In this subtropical region, with its 290,000 hectares of deep jungle and where the average temperature is 20 degrees C (68 degrees F), mate grows wild, and another 182,800 hectares are used for commercial cultivation.
Mate is prepared by adding hot water (at no more than 80 degrees Celsius or 176 Fahrenheit) to the dried leaves and stems.
Given that Argentina is a major producer and consumer of mate, the nonprofit ARYM (Asociación Ruta de la Yerba Mate) has created a Mate Route consisting of a list of producers you can visit.