D2R & MATE: What is Yerba Mate Tea?
Yerba Mate tea is a very popular beverage in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil. Although the discovery of yerba mate can be attributed to the Kaingang ethnic group around 3,000 BC, history recognizes the Guaraní people of the Paraná rainforest as the pioneers of mate and the creators of their unique way of drinking it. Discovered by the Guarani people in South America yerba mate is considered a cultural heritage in these countries, because it is prepared and shared in a very special way. It has also crossed borders to other continents and is now being recognized as one of the top 50 drinks in the world!
Mate is a herbal infusion prepared with yerba mate, made from a plant called Ilex paraguariensis. It has a slightly bitter taste, and although there are several ways to drink it, the most traditional is the hot mate cebado, which is prepared by adding hot water to yerba mate in a special container called “mate” and drinking the infusion through a silver straw called a “bombilla.mate is known for its natural properties, which increase energy and concentration.
But for many people, especially outside of South America, this may be the first time they’ve heard the term “yerba mate.” It’s time to discover a natural drink that’s unlike any other!
Mate tea is prepared from the yerba mate plant, a tree native to South America that only grows significantly in three countries: Argentina (the world’s leading producer), Brazil, and Paraguay. This tree, called Ilex Paraguariensis, is part of a large family of species with more than 600 varieties. The yerba mate plant can have a productive life of up to 100 years. After being dried, ground, and packaged in a carefully controlled process, yerba mate leaves are readily available in countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and parts of Chile (today, yerba mate can also be purchased in other regions of the world). Yerba mate is the most popular beverage in Argentina, surpassing coffee and tea.
Yerba mate is grown in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, where the soil, temperature and humidity are ideal. Although countless attempts have been made to cultivate and produce yerba mate in other regions around the world; the Ilex paraguariensis known as Yerba Mate refuses to grow outside the lands of the Guarani!
In Argentina, mate tea is the most consumed drink after water. An average of 100 liters of mate are consumed per year, per person, in Argentina. We can find Mate in more than 90% of the Argentinean homes.
As more benefits of drinking this infusion continue to be discovered and confirmed, yerba mate is gaining international recognition as a natural super drink
Although Argentina is the largest producer and exporter of yerba mate with 54% of the global market, it is currently gaining more and more popularity outside the limits of Latin America. Today it is possible to enjoy the benefits of this natural infusion far beyond the continent: yerba mate can be found around the world!. There is even a wide variety of both traditional and innovative yerba mate products.
Furthermore, drinking mate is a cultural affair and part of the lifestyle of the producing countries. In Argentina, mate is usually drunk in groups and in rounds, as part of a social ritual; and in Uruguay it is mostly drunk individually, but literally anytime, anywhere. From it beginning with the Guarani people to the present times, yerba mate remains as strong as ever for South Americans!