mate
Sign in to savetraditional infusion from the yerba mate plant, from Paraguay, Guarani people.
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Mate is a traditional beverage made from the leaves of the yerba mate plant, originally from Paraguay and prepared by the Guarani people. It remains culturally significant as a cherished drink in South American traditions and continues to be consumed widely in the region today.
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Mate (/ˈmɑːteɪ/ MAH-tay; Spanish: mate [ˈmate], Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈmatʃi]) is a traditional Paraguayan, Argentine, Uruguayan and Brazilian caffeine-rich infused herbal drink. It is also known as chimarrão in Portuguese, cimarrón in Spanish, and ka'ay in Guarani. It is made by soaking dried yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) leaves in hot water and is traditionally served with a metal straw (bombilla) in a container typically made from a calabash gourd (also called the mate), from water-resistant hardwoods such as Lapacho or Palo Santo, and also made from a cattle horn (guampa) in some areas. A very similar preparation, known as mate cocido, removes some of the plant material and sometimes comes in tea bags. Today, mate is also sold commercially in tea bags and as bottled iced tea.
Mate has been originally consumed by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples native to Paraguay, north-east of Argentina and South of Brazil. After European colonization, it was spread across the Southern Cone countries, namely Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, but it is also consumed in the South of Brazil and the Bolivian Chaco. Mate is the national beverage of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Chile, mate is predominantly consumed in the central and southern regions. Mate is also popular in Lebanon, Syria, Israel — where it was brought by immigrants from Argentina.