mate.

About mate

Mate is a caffeine-rich infused herbal drink made with yerba mate, a plant which originates in the Southern Cone of South America. It is especially popular in South America and the Levant. It is also known as chimarrão in Portuguese, cimarrón in Spanish, and ka'ay in Guarani. It is made by soaking dried yerba mate leaves in hot water and is traditionally served with a metal straw in a container typically made from a calabash gourd, from water-resistant hardwoods such as Handroanthus impetiginosus or Palo Santo, and also made from a cattle horn 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 also sold commercially in tea bags and as bottled iced tea.