Yerba Mate (pronounced Yerbah Mah-teh) delivers the same sharpening and energising impact of the teas and coffees habitually relied on by westerners.
Yerba Mate (flex paraguariensis) is grown in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Brazil, but is most abundant in Paraguay where it is also cultivated. Yerba Mate is a less potent stimulant than coffee and much gentler on the stomach. Caffeine content varies between 0.3%-1.7% of dry weight (compare this to 2.5–4.5% for tea leaves, and 1.5% for ground coffee).
For centuries taking Yerba Mate has been to Latin Americans more akin something you do than something you drink. Throughout Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay Yerba Mate is a cultural icon for its role in ritualized ceremonies in which Yerba Mate is shared between family members, close friends or lovers as a gesture of intimacy, welcome and hospitality.
Fortunately you don’t have to wait until your great aunt Hilda pops around to enjoy Yerba Mate because, as well as delivering a rejuvenating boost with a refreshing taste, this stuff has the quirky side-effect of being good for you. In fact, Yerba Mate is decidedly more healthy than its western tea and coffee counterparts.
Mate is more than just good for the body; it's good for the soul. Drinking it can be a form of meditation or reflection - allowing the goodness to infuse into the body while stimulating and resting the mind. |
