AI overview
Yerba mate is a species of plant native to South America that is traditionally brewed into a caffeinated beverage. The drink has cultural significance in countries like Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where it is commonly shared among groups as a social ritual.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
LR/ntFamilyAquifoliaceae
Native toArgentina Northeast, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Paraguay, Uruguay
Common Name: yerba mate
via · Kew POWO
Research
744 papers- Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review.Nutrition reviews · 2023
- Yerba Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): a comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications, and technological considerations.Journal of food science · 2007
- Health properties of Yerba Mate.Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM · 2020
- Yerba Mate-A Long but Current History.Nutrients · 2021
- Fungal Diseases in Yerba Mate: Status and Management Strategies.
Article
Yerba mate or yerba maté (/ˈjɜːrbə ˈmɑːteɪ/ YUR-bə MAH-tay), Ilex paraguariensis, is a plant species of the holly genus native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leaves of the plant can be steeped in hot water to make a beverage known as mate. Brewed cold, it is used to make tereré. Both the plant and the beverage contain caffeine.
The indigenous Guaraní and some Tupi communities (whose territory covered present-day Paraguay) first cultivated and consumed yerba mate prior to European colonization of the Americas. Its consumption was exclusive to the natives of only two regions of the territory that today is Paraguay, more specifically the departments of Amambay and Alto Paraná. After the Jesuits discovered its commercialization potential, yerba mate became widespread throughout the province and even elsewhere in the Spanish Crown.