Yerba Mate: Learn all about the South American Drink

Yerba mate is an ancient herb, rich in nutritional properties, that is the main ingredient of an iconic drink for many South American countries. Particularly loved in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, it's an infusion prepared with the leaves of a tree that's widespread in the forests of South America.

Here's everything you need to know about this drink full of meaning and virtue.

Origin and curiosity

Considered as a gift from the gods to the Guarani people for centuries, the mate tree is an evergreen holly of the Aquifoliaceae family, whose scientific name is Ilex paraguariensis, a native of the Paranaense jungle. The youngest and greenest leaves of the tree are collected, dried and then placed in a 'mate': a traditional bowl made of ceramic or dried pumpkin (porongo).

Hot (but never boiling) water is poured over the leaves and left to infuse. To drink this ancestral drink, a 'bombilla' is used - a metal straw with a sort of filter at the lower end, which prevents the crumbled leaves from ending up in the mouth when drinking.

Once prepared, the yerba mate lasts all day, just add hot water to take advantage of it as long as you feel like it, there is no need to add more leaves.

Europeans only discovered yerba mate in the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors experimented with this ancestral drink and introduced it to Europe, allowing it to become one of the best known and most appreciated infusions in the world.

The yerba mate ritual

In Argentina, the drink is associated with an ancient sharing ritual, a meaningful social practice, which is part of the yerba mate experience. If an Argentine invites someone to share his mate, it means that he/she is expressing hospitality, friendship and trust.

Just like in the tea rituals of Japan, every gesture has a meaning. For example, adding a small amount of water into the mate, very slowly, means that there is a strong interpersonal bond, because this gesture makes both the drink and the ritual last longer.

The person who is in charge of preparing the mate is called 'cebador', or 'celebrator', and is the only one who can pour the water and lead the entire ceremony of tasting the drink. If you are in a group, the mate must always be passed to the person on the left, never in the opposite direction.

Yerba mate, an ancient natural remedy

Yerba is much more than a simple drink in Latin American countries, where it is used as a natural remedy to counteract various ailments, thanks to its therapeutic action on the body.

Known for its antioxidant properties, yerba mate could help counteract the signs of ageing and boost metabolism, helping the body burn calories and lose weight.

Being rich in caffeine, this herb can also give a feeling of energy as well as facilitating concentration. For the same reason, however, it is not suitable for excessive consumption and its intake is not recommended for people suffering from heart problems and hypertension, or during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

How to prepare yerba mate?

Here is the procedure for preparing yerba mate at home: this infusion is very similar to tea, although it differs both in flavour and preparation.

• Put two teaspoons of yerba in a mate, then cover it with one hand and turn it upside down. Shake the container to mix the herb. After this procedure, some powder will remain on your hand that you will throw away.
• Return the mate to the correct position and add a little hot, but not boiling, water to moisten the leaves, to create a sticky paste.
• Immerse the bombilla where the water was poured and add more hot water from the side where the bombilla is located.
• At this point you can start drinking, until you finish all the drink.
• Only then can more hot water be added to continue drinking. The bombilla must never be moved from where it was immersed.

Variants

In addition to the traditional recipe, there are many variations of this drink, which allow you to enjoy yerba mate in other ways. Alternatively, yerba mate can also be prepared as an infusion, similar to how it is made with tea, in which case it is called 'mate cocido'. Just put the mate leaves in a sachet (or in a tea filter) in boiling water and leave them to infuse for a few minutes.

The 'yerba mate gringo' style refers to the way the drink is enjoyed in North America: the leaves are placed in a cup, cold water is added and then left to soak for a few minutes, with the addition of hot water afterwards. It is drunk with the bombilla and water is added until the aroma disappears.

The 'terba mate tereré' is the refreshing and summery version of this drink: prepare a lemonade and then pour it into the mate, preferably in a ceramic cup, and after letting the infusion rest for a few minutes, drink using the bombilla.

Like tea leaves, yerba mate can also be used in cooking, to colour and flavour desserts and sweets.