Throughout South America, the indigenous peoples are closely linked by the mate tradition, as evidenced in writings such as "The Incas' Green Gold," or by its reverential subtitle, "Drink of the Gods." According to legend, about 1,000 years ago, a god handed the Guarani Indians the plant, with instructions for brewing the leaves into tea. Since then, the drink mate has been an indispensable part of daily life for millions of South Americans. In several regions, people drink copious quantities of this beverage any time of day. Field workers drink the brew to ward off heat and exhaustion. People who engage in lengthy, round-table discussions like it for its mentally stimulating properties, claiming it can induce inspiration, while creating a relaxed state.
This tea is Argentina's national drink. It is also consumed in Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Europeans tend to mention it only when yet another reducing diet fad containing mate becomes popular. Supposedly, the plant has the ability to curb hunger—although not everyone agrees. In any event, this tea is a beverage long on tradition, an automatic staple in everyday life in South America, as we might consider coffee or tea.
As the case in South Africa, the natives had originally discovered the now popular roibos tea, similar to the indigenous Paraguayans and Guarani Indians discovering the mate plant's stimulating properties. The tea is actually made from the leaves of the evergreen mate bush. The Spaniards noticed the effect of this green liquid when they conquered South America in the 16th century. The Jesuit missionaries who followed are responsible for research into this plant, and the most important discoveries for raising it. They managed to cultivate the bush and establish mate plantations. Hence, the plant's moniker, "Jesuit Tea." According to dictionary entries, the plant's botanical name is ilex paraguariensis , or "yerba tree", of the genus, "holly palms." It is one of South America's few evergreen plants that also exist in mid-Europe. There is absolutely no similarity between this plant and the one that produces black tea, other than the fact that they both contain caffeine.
Cultivation keeps these plants in the form of robust shrubs, requiring high humidity and warmth all year long. That is the reason why the plants thrive in Paraguay, Southern Brazil and the northeast of Argentina. Those regions produce 300,000 tons of mate annually.
From the Shrub to the Cup—Manufacturing Techniques
Harvest time is extensive—from February through October—and is the season for reaping the youngest leaves and twigs. They are quickly dried, to avoid oxidation or fermentation. The leaves contain 60 percent moisture. Drying them at high temperatures by subjecting them to an open fire for 30 seconds imparts a smoky flavor, while removing most of the moisture. The next step is to tumble them in a heated, rotating drum. This step is repeated, until the leaves contain only minute traces of moisture. Although this step only requires two days, the next step can take up to a year. The leaves must be separated from the woodsy stems and berries, and are then packed into sacks, to be stored for nine to twelve months, to ripen and develop their characteristic aroma. Only after these steps, are the leaves then ground, the last step before being packed for shipping.
We cannot equate mate drinking with the common gray life style we are so accustomed to. There is no bowing to hectic lifestyle demands, as with conventional tea—simply plunking a tea bag into hot water. No—because here the emphasis is on actual enjoyment of a South American beverage, consumed from the traditional mate "cup." The traditional cup is made from a hollowed-out, gourd of dried calabash (a type of squash). The cup's rim is adorned with a metal ring, to secure the opening. Often the rings are decorated with elaborate carvings. Some of them are made of silver or even gold. The drinking "straw," called a bombilla , is metal, and contains a sieve at the bottom end, preventing the drinker from ingesting any fine tea leaf particles.
Preparing the Tea
The ritual is always the same, whether prepared by gauchos around their camp fires in the pampas , or by people in crowded downtown Buenos Aires. First, fill the drinking cup 1/2 to 2/3 full of leaves, then add hot water (never boiling water) to the contents, just enough, so the herbal leaves can absorb it. Since mate , like all teas that are non-herbal, contains caffeine, the length of brewing time determines the strength of the beverage—short steeping enhances the stimulating effect the tea will produce, while longer steeping time, six minutes or longer, is claimed to produce a calming effect.
After all the water has been added, one is ready to dunk the bombilla into the brew and enjoy!
mate aficionados recommend sucking up the first mouthful and then immediately spitting it out, because the first hit tastes bitter. The second steeping from the same leaves in the cup is preferred, but it also depends somewhat on the type of leaves used. Of course one could simply brew mate like any other tea—Argentineans call this "boiled tea," which is served with milk, mint or lemon, as especially prepared for children.
As with green tea, the same mate leaves can be brewed several times. But it takes getting used to its smoky flavor.
Mate—a Fountain of Health?
The Guarani Indians brought the tea to the colonies, and it seems it had been their frequently used home remedy. The Indians attribute many healing properties to this plant, such as enhancing endurance, combating fatigue, stimulating the brain, curbing the appetite, and reducing stress. Nowadays, the tea no longer really enjoys medicinal application in Argentina or Paraguay, but is merely used as a beverage, like we enjoy coffee or tea. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile noting that mate contains minerals, such as magnesium, calcium and iron, as well as carotene, and the vitamins A, C, E, B-1, B-2, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and nicotinic acid.
The evidence is not in yet on whether mate contributes to weight reduction, but it definitely curbs the appetite, and is thus suitable for those on a reducing diet, satisfying their intake of liquids, while providing the benefits of the vitamins and trace minerals the plant contains. Though the tea is a gentle stimulant, it does not make one nervous, like coffee or black tea. Mate can soothe an irritated stomach, calm the mucous membranes and alleviate stomach pain, as well.
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