Maté is an infusion prepared by steeping dry leaves and stems of Yerba Maté in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea is prepared. Drinking Maté with friends from a shared hollow gourd, called a Guampa with a metal straw (a spoon like strainer attached to the end of the straw) called a Bombilla is a common social culture practiced primarily in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The word Yerba is Spanish for grass or herb. Maté is from the Quechua (the family of Native South American languages) Mati, meaning "cup". Therefore literally "Yerba Maté" is the "herb cup."
The flavor of brewed Yerba Maté is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea. Many consider the flavor to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water, so it is made using hot but not boiling water. Unlike most teas, it does not become bitter and astringent when steeped for extended periods, and the leaves may be infused several times.
In Paraguay and surrounding countries Yerba Maté is also enjoyed as a cold beverage known as Tereré. The Tereré is also shared from a cow's horn as a social drink experience sharing it with close friends and relatives in the countryside during hot summer days. The Yerba Maté leaves and stems mixture is placed in the cow’s horn filling it two thirds full. Cold water and ice is poured over the mixture and then a Bombilla is inserted and a sip is taken by the first person and then passed around to all others in the gathering for them to enjoy and feel the unity of the group.
The Gauchos (Paraguayan Cowboys & Cattle Herders) take this drink on their long journeys to sustain their meager diet while out on the range for months. Very little food is packed to avoid slowing them down. While on their herding expeditions, the Yerba Maté serves as a vegetable and fruit supplement and is a valuable source of necessary vitamins and minerals along with an energy boost similar to caffeine to complement their limited food intake providing them the vitality to conduct their strenuous job. Tereré is also consumed in Paraguay as an infusion of Yerba Maté and grapefruit or lemon juice for a refreshing summer beverage adding refreshing citrus notes to the tea.
Maté was first scientifically classified by a Swiss botanist Moses Bertoni, who settled in Paraguay in 1895. The drink was first infused in Paraguay and became a hit among the natives who shared it with the neighboring countries, Uruguay and Argentina. Later this beverage was shared and the tradition was cultivated with the other subtropical countries in South America, such as Brazil and Chile. Maté is also popular for healing and curing common ailments. Medicinal herbs, known as "yuyos", are mixed in a mortar and pestle and combined with the Maté then added to water for taste and prescribed for a particular ailment or discomfort. The people of Paraguay are known to treat various ailments with Maté such as headache, stomachache, and diarrhea, plus the added benefits of promoting clear thinking with a stimulant such as caffeine minus the adverse side affects.
The Yerba Maté plant is a shrub or small tree growing up to 15 meters tall. The leaves are evergreen, 7–11 cm long and 3–5.5 cm wide, with a serrated margin. The flowers are small, greenish-white, with four petals. The fruit is a red drupe 4–6 mm diameter.
The Paraguayan experience is not complete without daily servings of Yerba Mate. It is common for friends to convene to "Tomar Maté" several times a week. Traditionally served hot and in warm weather the hot water is often substituted with lemonade. Children often drink Yerba Maté with lemonade as well. Like Americans often get together at a coffee shop, drinking Maté is the impetus for gathering with friends in Subtropical countries of South America. Sharing Maté is ritualistic and has its own set of rules. Usually one person, the host or whoever brought the Maté prepares the drink and refills the guampa with water. The guampa is passed around, often in a circle, and each person finishes the guampa before giving it back to the brewer. The guampa (also called "Maté") is passed in a clockwise fashion. Since Maté can be re-brewed so many times, the guampa is passed until the water runs out. When a person no longer wants to take Maté, they say "gracias" to the brewer when returning the guampa to signify they don't want any more. The act of drinking Maté and Tereré is more than just a ritual. It is often used as a reason to share and chat with a partner, meet new people, or just for meditation when drinking alone at the end of the day.
The Yerba Maté common social practice has also been cultivated in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
Yerba Maté is now grown on plantations and is commonly imported from Paraguay and Argentina. There is an increasing demand for this tea due to its healthy and medicinal properties recently discovered around the world and for the caffeine alternative stimulus benefits.
