The Gourd, the Bad, and the Ugly:

A Yerba Maté Tale

Origins and History

Where does it come from?

Cultivated exclusively in northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay

What does it come from?

Processed leaves from the Ilex paraguariensis evergreen shrub-tree

They are trimmed by hand, dried, ground, and then aged in a controlled environment for up to 24 months

Fact

Once brewed it contains more antioxidants than any other tea-based drink.

An Indigenous tradition

  • Originally harvested and consumed by the Guaraní people in present-day Paraguay
  • Its group consumption originates from Guaraní celebrations in honor of Tupâ, the god of rain and water
  • Other Indigenous people consumed mate including the Charrúa in Uruguay and Tupí in Brazil

Etymology

The word “Maté” comes from the Quechua “Mati” which means “container for a drink”

Note

Maté is not the tea but the vessel!
Although it’s most common to say you’re “drinking matè”, this is only for brevity.

A tool of Spanish empire

The history of mate is a case study of how American plants were turned into commodities to strengthen European rule over Indigenous peoples rather than to foster their autonomy and independence.

—Sarreal, Julia. The Guaraní and their missions: a socioeconomic history. Stanford University Press, 2014

A tool of Spanish empire

  • Mate seeds have extremely hard shells and are very difficult to germinate.
  • Drawing on Guaraní knowledge and labor, the missions became the first site to domesticate the plant
  • By the 17th century, it had become the chief export of the Guaraní territories, above sugar, wine and tobacco

Green gold

  • After the Jesuits were expelled, the maté plantations were abandoned and maté was harvested in the wild again
  • Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay were competing to dominate the trade
  • Some of the areas where maté grew wild were the object of territorial disputes among them

Maté wars

  • These disputes led to the breakout of the Triple Alliance War (1864–1870) that turned Brazil and Argentina against Paraguay.
  • By the end of the war, Brazil annexed large mate-producing areas and dethroned Paraguay as the world’s top producer.

Brazil changes its mind

  • By the 1930s, Brazil was more focused on developing their coffee exports
  • Argentina, which had long been the largest consumer, finally became the largest producer.

Maté today

  • Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay produce 1.4 million tons per year, but less than 5% is exported

  • Argentina is currently the largest producer and overall consumer

  • But Uruguayans drink twice as much per capita (22 lb per year!!)

How to be good at ⚽

Best team mascot

Botija, the thermos

How to prepare (cebar) maté

  • Fill the máte up to three-quarters full with dry herb and shake off any powder
  • Pour a little lukewarm water on one side
  • Boil water to 78 °C
  • Insert your straw or bombilla on the edge of the wet herbs
  • Pour water directly onto the straw, keeping one side as dry as possible

Other ways

  • In Paraguay, it is more common to drink with cold water (tereré)
  • Some people put sugar on it and even oranges. Go wild.

Maté standards

  • Everyone drinks from the same maté and straw ( bombilla ).
  • The maté is given by the brewer (el cebador) to each person, often in a circle, in turns.
  • The recipient drinks the few mouthfuls in the container, and then returns the mate to the brewer
  • The brewer then refills it and passes it to the next person in clockwise order.

Important

The recipient is not supposed to give thanks until the maté is completely done, otherwise you might not be served any more mates.

Important

It is considered rude to move the straw around

Tip

It’s totally acceptable to slurp the mate at the end of your turn. It’s actually a sign of respect and letting everyone know you’re done.

Enjoy!