Frequently asked question about mate is..."What is Maté?"
Maté is...well, Maté. It's a plant named: Ilex paraguariensis which is a member of the Holly plant family.
Maté is traditionally in South America is served out of a gourd, which are cured, with a bombilla. Gourds are cured by many different ways that one can find in search engines. The steeping temperature for Maté is a lot like Green Tea, which is from 160 degrees F and 180 degrees F. "Maté contains xanthines, which are alkaloids in the same family as caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, well-known stimulants also found in coffee and chocolate." (Latin Merchant)
In Argentina, the Gauchos, the cowboys who heard the cows, (Argentina is known for their beef exports) they would have maté on the droves. Maté has an interesting history throughout South American culture, including many legends on how it came to exist.
Maté is a nice "picker-upper" for those sluggish days when one needs a boost.
