Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is made from the leaves of the rainforest holly tree. Traditionally, Mate is served hot in a gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla. Today, both hot and cold preparations are popular, and mate is sold in loose leaf, bagged, and in bottled beverages. It is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America, particularly Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Chile. It is also very popular in Syria where it is imported from Argentina. It was initially utilized and cultivated by the Guaraní people and in some Tupí communities in southern Brazil, prior to European colonization.