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Yerba Mate
|  Botanical name: Ilex paraquariensis
Also known as: Yerba Mate, Maté Bush, erva mate, Paraquay tea
Family name: Aquifoliaceae
Natural habitat: Northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chili, southern Brazil and Bolivia
The Maté bush is an evergreen tree with a typical light-colored bark. In nature this tree can obtain heights of 20 meters. When they are cultivated on plantations they are mostly maintained at a height of 3 – 5 meters. The leaves are quite large: 10 – 20 cm. in length. They are dark-green on the upper side and light green on the down side. The leaves contain several minerals and vitamins, but the main reason for its popularity is the presence of caffeine. It can be found in the wild in South America and is also grown on large plantations. The main source for Yerba Mate is Brazil.
The tea made of the dried (and sometimes also roasted) leaves of the Maté bush has been made and drunk in South America since millennia. It has a stimulating effect that refreshes both the body and the mind. The stimulation of the tea was enjoyed together and was used for telling one another stories. In some South American countries this tea can be considered the national drink. The use of Yerba Mate tea is an important part of their social-cultural structure. The ritual consumption of Yerba Mate was already developed by the Indians in the pre-Columbian period. The bitter green tea is obtained by adding hot water to crushed leaves. This is done in a so-called gourd. This gourd is also known as ‘cuia’. The tea is then drunk through a straw; the ‘bombilla’. When the gourd is empty, hot water is added to the remaining Mate leaves and given to the person next to him. This way the gourd goes round to each participant in the circle. When the leaves are washed out after a few refillings with hot water, new leaves are added and the ritual continues. Sometimes the tea is sweetened a little bit with sugar or honey.
Many Indian legends portray the Maté bush as one of the most important plants made by the god of creation. It was believed that a spirit named Ka’a Yary lived in the tree which protected the good and industrious workers and punished those who did not believe in plant souls.
In South America there have been found dried leaves, gourds and bombilla’s in graves from pre-Columbian times, so the dead could continue their use of Yerba Mate in the after-life.
In the western world Yerba Mate is getting more and more popular today. A lot of users try to bring down their coffee habit by drinking Yerba Mate in stead. They find Yerba Mate a healthful, yet stimulating, alternative to their cup of coffee. | | 
| |  Menu: Herbs / Herbs
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