YERBA MATE – ARGENTINA’S TEA DRINK

Pronounced yerba mahtay, this South American drink is very popular in Argentina and similar to tea.  However, what makes Yerba Mate so unique is not only its flavor but is beneficial ingredients as well.  In fact, this particular drink is so popular that in Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina, people carry it around with them all day long, sipping as they go through their normal day, much as Americans would sip on soda.

This “tea” is a natural stimulant that produces zero side effects and toxicity levels.  As a natural source of nutrition, Yerba Mate also promotes good health.  This drink was first introduced from colonists where it was used by the ancient Guarani Indians of Paraguay and Argentina.  Today, Yerba Mate is popular around the world and for good reason, as you will soon discover.

Said to boost immunity, heal the nervous system, detoxify the blood, slow down aging, restore healthy hair, fight fatigue, decrease the appetite, reduce stress, combat insomnia, and a number of other benefits, you can see why it is such a popular drink.  The “mate” part of the drink is actually a member of evergreen that falls within the holly family.

Grown wild in South America, it is very aromatic with a slight bitter taste.  Interesting, when grown in the wild, it takes about 25 years for the plant to develop to maturity.  In the late fall and early winter months, the plant will actually produce beautiful flowers.  Just as with any other type of tea, Yerba Mate is typically brewed as a cold or hot drink, using tea bags or loose, dried tea.

The traditional cup used to drink Yerba Mate is called Mate, which when originally made was a dried and decorated gourde.  To prepare Yerba Mate, dried minced leaves are placed into the Mate or cup, adding hot water.  Then, the fusion is sucked up through a metal or wood pipe called a Bombilla, which is designed with a strainer on the end to prevent the small pieces of tea from going into the mouth.

Some people prefer to add milk and/or sugar, or other herbs such as mint to enhance the flavor.  In this case, you would use hot milk in place of the hot water.  Although at first the taste is foreign, there is something about it that makes you want to go back for more.  Then when you realize your body is energized, your mind is stimulated, you begin to lose weight, sickness starts to fade, and you feel better overall, you really become hooked on Yerba Mate.  With its powerful stimulant effects and loaded with minerals and vitamins, people in Argentina and other parts of South America love it, and so will you.