![]() The infused yerba mate herbs are not strained out from the water as with tea or coffee. The herbs infuse into the water to produce a tea-like beverage. Hot water (or sometimes cold, but never boiling) is then poured over the herbs to fill the gourd. Cold water is then poured into the gourd a little at a time so it has time to absorb into the herbs and prepare them for the infusion. The yerba, or “herb”, is placed in the gourd and shaken, crushed or ground. While the original gourds were small bowls or cups made from hollow, dried-out squash, modern day gourds may be made out of metal, ceramic or wood. Yerba mate is prepared most traditionally in a gourd, or “mate”. Today, Brazil is the largest producer of the herb, followed by Argentina and Paraguay. Yerba mate is grown and processed all over South America. Whereas cultivated trees are harvested at the end of each winter, because they grow faster due to careful pruning, sun exposure and water control. Wild yerba mate trees are harvested only every two years, because their leaves take longer to fully develop. This shelter allows the leaves to retain more of their nutrients and flavor than plants that are exposed to the sun. The highest quality yerba mate is shade-grown under the rich rainforest canopy and away from direct sunlight. ![]() Some yerba mate is even aged in cedar or other wood for up to a year or more for added flavor. They are sometimes roasted over a wood fire before they may be broken or cut to create the final herb for consumption. The leaves and tender stems are often hand picked then dried in a controlled environment. ![]() The yerba mate tree is a species of the holly family with leaves that are evergreen (showing leaves during all four seasons) and produce small fruit berries that flower into greenish white flowers. The “secret”, it turned out, was that yerba mate seeds were only germinated when they passed through the digestive tracts of certain native birds. It took centuries for the Europeans to figure out how to turn the plant into a reliable crop. Unlike coffee and cocoa, the other South American crops the Europeans cultivated for cash-rich export, yerba mate was not a domesticated species and had to be harvested from wild stands of shade trees. They took up the habit and quickly spread and popularized the herb as they conquered the continent. A shared gourd of yerba mate was passed around and sipped in fellowship as meals were prepared.Īs the Spanish began to colonize the countries across South America, they saw firsthand the health and energy benefits this indigenous beverage had on the people of the land. This “cowboy coffee” was sipped in the morning and at night around the campfire. It was also consumed in place of scarce food during periods of drought or famine. The stimulant properties of the beverage became popular with Argentinian gauchos (or cowboys), who sipped yerba mate for energy during cattle drives or long harvest days. As a spiritual herb, yerba mate was used for worship and often used for religious and other important tribal ceremonies. ![]() Natives believed yerba mate was a gift given to them to sustain life, increase vitality and heal the sick. The herb was a dietary staple for agriculture-dependent and nomadic and warrior-based lifestyles, depending on the tribe. Discovered by the indigenous peoples of the forests of Paraguay (the Guarani) and Southern Brazil (the Tupi), it was known as an herb “from the gods” used mostly for physical stamina. The origins of yerba mate are filled with folklore. So how did yerba mate become so popular in South America and how did it end up in our tea cups? Yerba mate origins In fact, yerba mate is consumed 6 to 1 over coffee in these countries. Yerba mate is an herb native to South America and is used to make the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, Uraguay and Southern Brazil. While prepared as an infusion to create a tea-like beverage, yerba mate contains no actual tea leaves. Along with tea, coffee, cacao, kola (or cola) and guarana, the yerba mate herb is used to produce a caffeinated beverage. There are only a handful of plants in the world that produce caffeine, and yerba mate is one of them.
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