At the end of a meal, we always choose between tea and coffee to finish on a high note.
Sometimes, you may hesitate slightly, but most often, the choice will be limited to these two classic drinks. But you should know that today you have another option, mate , which is also called maté tea.
This plant comes to us from South America, and contains both caffeine and polyphenols.
But what is mate? What are the different types of mate? What are the benefits of mate? How do you drink mate?
Summary
What is mate?
Mate is a plant that is consumed as an infusion , like tea. It is native to South America and more particularly to Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.
It is generally consumed for its beneficial effects on the entire body and well-being. But it also has some therapeutic virtues .
History and origin of mate
The Guaranis and mate
Many years ago, yerba berry was a staple food for the Guarani people .
At the time, mate leaves were consumed when men were physically preparing to begin long marches for hunting, exploiting the territory as well as for transhumance.
For some peoples, such as the Guarani, yerba was considered a true religion. They also used it as a currency of exchange with other populations.
After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, studies were undertaken on the drink, before its consumption spread to the four corners of the world.
The different types of mate available on the market
The different types of mate
The South American drink is atypical, and comes in several versions: green , roasted and refined .
The difference lies mainly in the taste because the same leaves are at the origin of the three nuances:
- Green mate is young, vegetal and fresh.
- The refined is, as its name suggests, refined for 6 to 24 months. We will obtain a more concentrated and pronounced taste.
- The roast has undergone a low temperature roasting process to obtain round and original flavors, close to coffee.
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