Yerba mate is a drink made from the dried and crushed leaves of a native South American holly shrub called Ilex paraguariensis. The leaves are steeped in water to create a tea-like beverage.
History
Yerba mate was widely used in pre-Columbian times, according to W.P. Armstrong from Palomar College, by people from the lowland areas of Paraguay. It was also popular among Andean Indians, who used the tea as a stimulant when making arduous treks through the mountains.
Benefits
Yerba mate contains approximately 1 percent caffeine, approximately the same amount of caffeine that is in coffee. The beverage was commonly used by South American natives to stimulate the nervous system, increase urine production, and reduce muscle tension. It also helped relieve fatigue-related headaches and reduce overly active appetites.
Features
South Americans drink yerba mate from small gourds that are made into special cups. The gourds are often embellished with silver rims and elaborate support bases. They place mate powder in the gourd and fill it with boiling water and sip the tea through a perforated metal straw called a bombilla that filters out the leaf particles.
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