The yerba mate story began in the Guarani culture. They believed a god gave the yerba mate tree to weary travelers. The Jesuits predicted its commercial potential.
The caffeinated drink comes from northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil, and Paraguay where it grows wild. The Guarani enjoyed it for energy and hospitality. Spanish colonizers learned of it from them. Jesuit missionaries spread its consumption.
Traditionally, it was served in a gourd and sipped through a metal or bamboo straw called a bombilla. There’s a ritual of hospitality surrounding the daily act of sharing it.
The caffeinated drink is made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant native to northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. The Guarani people indigenous to this region used it for centuries believing it to have healing properties and the ability to provide energy. According to legend, the Guarani received it as a gift from their moon and cloud goddesses.
When the Spanish colonized South America in the 16th century, they learned of it from the Guarani. Finding it to have enormous economic potential, Spanish Jesuit missionaries began cultivating and selling it commercially.
It remains popular today in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil where it is consumed 6 times more than coffee. It can be prepared as a tea by steeping the dried leaves in hot water. It is often served communally in a hollowed gourd and sipped through a metal straw.
The leaves contain caffeine as well as nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Its balanced energy boost is less intense and longer lasting than coffee.
While the South American drink does contain some natural sugars, its sugar content is generally low compared to other caffeinated drinks. Many drinkers also believe it has a relaxing effect in addition to stimulating qualities.
The caffeinated drink grows in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The soil, temperature and humidity there are ideal. It refuses to grow outside South America.
It comes from Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay. Indigenous peoples there have drunk it for centuries. It has spread around the world.
Argentina has the most area cultivated with it. As of 2020, Argentina had 175,000 hectares. Brazil had 72,000 hectares. Argentina exports the most by value. Brazil exports the most by weight.
The caffeinated drink is a caffeinated drink made from the leaves of a South American holly shrub. It has a strong, earthy flavor with smoky and bitter notes. The natural sweetness balances out the bitterness. It provides an awakening boost without the crash you get from coffee.
It is traditionally drunk from a gourd using a metal straw called a bombilla. To prepare, fill a dried gourd most of the way with leaves. Pour hot water just below boiling over the leaves.
Aside from cultural importance, it has health benefits. It contains antioxidants, vitamins B and C, and other nutrients. It reportedly boosts energy, mental clarity, weight loss, and digestion without caffeine crash.
The plant grows on trees in South America. Indigenous peoples have consumed it for centuries, serving it as a tea in gourds and drinking it through a bombilla straw. The flavor is earthy, grassy, or woodsy with apple or citrus hints.
It is enjoyed throughout South America as a strong tradition. It continues spreading globally. Argentinians drink up to 14 pounds of it per person yearly, consuming it in 90% of households. They typically drink it hot for breakfast or cold before sunset. Sharing mate forges emotional links between people, taking Argentinians back to their roots.
The caffeine, theobromine, and other stimulants in it provide a sustained natural high. It reportedly makes people more open-minded and less self-centered, perfect when seeking inspiration.
It is a legal, safe herb that can be purchased as loose leaf or tea bags. Store it in a cool, dark place. To prepare, boil water and pour it over leaves in a strainer. Enjoy social traditions of sharing mate.