Yerba Mate is a species of Holly, which is native to subtropical South America.  It grows as a small shrub and has evergreen leaves and small white flowers when in bloom.  The leaves and stems are dried and chopped up, then used to prepare an infusion with hot water, which is then drunk.  There are several grades of mate, some which are smoked while drying, some without stems, and some contain only the choice leaves.  When drunk, mate has a similar effect to that of coffee, but is much gentler on the stomach and mind.

The traditional preparation for yerba mate involves a dried hollowed gourd which is called the mate, and a filter straw, usually made of metal, called the bombilla.  The gourd is filled approx. 2/3 full of yerba mate, and then is steeped with hot (never boiling) water.  The mate is then sipped and replenished with more hot water when drunk.  This process is traditionally very social, with multiple people often drinking from the same mate.  Because the water is not boiling the herbs never really get depleted and those who drink from the same mate will generally have equally shared beneficial effects.  The flavor of mate is very herbal, grassy, and natural with aromas of pine and is like drinking a dilute pine sap… in a good way.  The mate can taste very bitter if boiling water is used.  Also, the preparation must be done carefully, or else you can end up eating your mate through the filter straw and not drinking it.

Mate contains xanthines, which are alkaloids in the same family as caffeine, these are also found in coffee and chocolate.  Mate is chock full of beneficial antioxidants, such as potassium, magnesium, and manganese.   Mate’s physiological effects are similar to, yet distinctly different from those found when drinking a cup of coffee or tea.  A wakeful, focused, and alerted state found with most stimulants, is most common, but without the negative jittery effects typically found with coffee.  It has been shown that mate also has a relaxing effect on the muscle tissue and a stimulating effect on the myocardial (heart) tissue, which is why those people who drink mate after dinner generally do not have problems falling asleep as can happen with coffee.  There are few, if any, negative effects of drinking mate.  The most commonly reported negative effect is the large dose of caffeine (xanthine), but this is generally due to the fact that one mate is often filled and drunk several times.  The other common negative is mate’s diuretic characteristics, drinking one mate can often make you feel like you have drunk a gallon of water.

Mate is easy enough to come by, however foreign it might seem to most Americans.  It is commonly found in Spanish restaurants/groceries, many health food stores, and it is extremely easy to find and purchase on the internet.  It is light so costs very little to ship and our favorite brand is Rosamonte.  The accompanying mate gourd and bombilla can also be purchased at most websites that sell yerba mate.  Lastly, if that seems like too much work but you are still interested, mate can be purchased in tea bags…just like Lipton.  If buying in tea bags, our favorite brand is an Argentine one called Cachamai.

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Contributing Writer: Joseph M. Gionfriddo
Photo by: atxbill

As always, we hope you enjoy and are able to learn something new and fun to try at home!

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