The mate is a drink made from the leaves of the yerba mate tree, well known by the peoples of South America who have appreciated it for centuries for its many beneficial properties. From the satiating, diuretic, energizing and digestive effect, mate tea is still the subject of studies to ascertain all the real benefits and contraindications. Let's find out better.
Do you know Mate tea? No, it's not some new Australian dish! Mate (pronounced MAH-tay ) is a traditional drink similar to tea, popular in South American countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, eastern Bolivia and South Brazil.
But now, Mate tea is gaining popularity all over the world and is entering forcefully and rapidly into global markets, including the United States. Being an Argentinian, seeing Mate tea among the products of the Food and Nutrition Conference (FNCE 2012) was a nice surprise!
But what exactly is mate tea?
Mate is a drink prepared through the infusion of the dried leaves of the yerba mate tree ( Ilex paraguarensis ). In South America, mate is typically drunk inside a dried pumpkin through a metal straw with a filter known as bombilla .
To prepare the drink, about two ounces ( see note 1 at the end of the article ) of dried leaves are crammed into the bombilla, hot water is poured for infusion into the pumpkin and the drink is ready to be enjoyed. The water is added on several occasions until the leaves have been crossed by half a full liter.
The Argentine ceremony for the preparation of the Mate
People who visit Argentina are often surprised by how we drink mate tea. Traditionally, we share the mate with the people you know : close friends and family. In a gathering, we all drink from the same pumpkin and make the same straw!
There is also a whole ceremony for the drink. A person - the cebador - prepares the mate, fills the pumpkin and passes it to the drinker on his right. That person drinks all the contents and passes the empty pumpkin back to the cebador . If the person says "Thank you" at that time, it means that he or she no longer wants to drink mate. Thus, the cebador prepares mate tea for the next person. This ritual is repeated for each of the participants, following a circular pattern.
Although it is possible to find some "mate bars" in the capital Buenos Aires, in Argentina , mate tea is not a drink that you will find in bars or restaurants. Instead, it is more commonly appreciated at home and sometimes among work colleagues. Mate doesn't just have a unique flavor, it also represents a friendship and sharing story .
While people who recently take mate in the United States generally buy it in individual tea bags in health food stores, as cold drinks or as an ingredient in food supplements, Argentinians instead consume the mate contained in bags called mate cocido.
What is the flavor of Mate tea?
It is difficult to explain the taste, because the mate is unique. Prepared in the traditional way, it is quite bitter (although it is possible to add some sugar), and it has a smoky and roasted aroma that fades after the pumpkin has been filled a few times.
You should try it whenever you have the chance! If you know someone from Argentina or Uruguay, ask them to show you the technique.
Is Mate tea healthy?
The recent popularity of Mate tea is partly due to its health claims . However, scientific evidence is contradictory. On the one hand, some epidemiological studies have reported the existence of a link between the consumption of mate tea and an increased risk of developing oral, oropharyngeal, esophageal, laryngeal and bladder cancer. On the other hand, there are valid studies showing the anticancer effects of mat and even higher than those of green tea !
In addition to being rich in antioxidants, some scientific evidence shows that tea helps to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, stimulates the central nervous system and is a good diuretic and choleretic.
Cardiovascular health benefits and obesity management have also been suggested.
Numerous active phytochemicals have been identified to support these claims within tea mate. These include polyphenols (chlorogenic acid) and xanthines (caffeine and theobromine), followed by Purina alkaloids, flavonoids, amino acids, mineral salts (phosphorus, iron and calcium) and vitamins (C, B1 and B2).
Finally, it has also been shown that mate tea has a protective action against certain types of liver cancer .
Further investigation should be done on the safety and benefits of tea mate. Meanwhile, drinking tea mate moderately should not be risky. I drink it every day and it's my energy boost in the morning !
Source: All about Mate Tea by Romina Barritta De Franchi, DTR
NOTE
1. The ounce is the sub-multiple of a mass unit of measurement used mostly in Anglo-Saxon countries. One ounce equals 28.3 grams.
