Read about the rich tradition and history of Yerba Mate and the culture surrounding it.

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A photo from early 20th century shows oxen hauling logs to the river, destined to the sawmills. Mate trees can be seen around the cabin in the foreground.

The facts that lead to the decadence or survival of cultures, languages and races are, some of the most interesting topics to be studied in history. The history of mate is no exception. Rooted in an old Indian legend that depicted the god Tupã as a tall, bearded white man, the natives built their social life around mate. That, in turn was adapted by the European settlers, who, in their turn, attributed social traditions and folklore to the herb. Today, the tradition of mate faces the crossroads of extinction or a further development of the complex social aspects of the beverage, as it is linked to more and more health benefits. Here we present a brief history of how mate became the drink it is today.

European explorers first learned of the herb in 1592 from the native tribes. Today, the pounded leaves of the caá, known as "erva mate" to those who now live in the lands of the Guarani, are used to brew a rich, stimulating tea, held to be synonymous with health, vitality and long life.

They sit together at lunchtime or at the end of a hard day of work and refresh themselves around a fire, socializing and passing around the "cuia," as the gourd is called, so all can have a drink. The ancient custom of drinking the pounded herb in a gourd still survives and is a day to day habit among the people that now inhabit these lands.

Found growing in the midst of the tall, umbrella pine and Atlantic forests of southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, the fresh air of the high mountain altitudes permits the healthy growth of the mate shrubs, and they line the dirt roads, showing us why the tradition is so easily engraved in the people...

From boosting immunity to toning the nervous system, from combating fatigue to cleansing and detoxifying the blood, from controlling the appetite and stimulating the mind to reducing stress, mate was always used as a healthful herb. For this reason the Indian tribes always carried the yerba mate with them when they had to go on long walks searching for food, or when they had to face intense challenges in the dense subtropical forests. Yerba mate was one of their greatest sources of extra energy.