Mate (drink)
Mate in a traditional calabash gourd (also called a mate) with a metal bombilla | |
| Type | Infusion, hot |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | The territory of the Guaraní people (present-day Paraguay, the Misiones province of Argentina, southeastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and Uruguay) |
| Introduced | Pre-Columbian era. First European written record by Spanish colonizers in the 15th century |
Mate (/ˈmɑːteɪ/ MAH-tay; Spanish: mate [ˈmate], Portuguese: [ˈmatʃi]) is a traditional Paraguayan, Uruguayan, Argentine and South Brazilian caffeine-rich infused herbal drink. It is also known as chimarrão[a] in Portuguese, cimarrón[b] in Spanish, and kaʼay in Guarani.[1] It is made by soaking dried yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) leaves in hot water and is traditionally served with a metal straw (bombilla) in a container typically made from a calabash gourd (also called the mate), from water-resistant hardwoods such as Lapacho or Palo Santo, and also made from a cattle horn (guampa) in some areas. A very similar preparation, known as mate cocido, removes some of the plant material and sometimes comes in tea bags. Today, mate is sold commercially in tea bags and as bottled iced tea.
Mate has been originally consumed by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples native to Paraguay, north-east of Argentina and South of Brazil. After European colonization, it was spread across the Southern Cone countries, namely Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, but it is also consumed in the South of Brazil and the Bolivian Chaco. Mate is the national beverage of Argentina,[2] Paraguay and Uruguay. In Chile, mate is predominantly consumed in the central and southern regions. Mate is also popular in Lebanon and Syria, where it was brought by immigrants from Argentina.[3][4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Guarani Linguistics in the 21st Century. BRILL. 15 May 2017. ISBN 978-90-04-32257-8.
- ^ "Ley 26.871 - Declárase al Mate como infusión nacional". InfoLEG (in Spanish). Argentinean Ministry of Economy. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
- ^ Barceloux, Donald (3 February 2012). Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-11810-605-1.
- ^ "South American 'mate' tea a long-time Lebanese hit". Middle East Online. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.