yerba mate
Noun
Meaning
yerba mate (plural yerba mates)
Ilex paraguariensis, a plant used to make maté.
Examples
When I wake up, I always drink tons of Guayaki organic yerba mate tea.
Other sources include yaupon holly leaves, South American holly yerba mate leaves, seeds from Amazonian maple guarana berries, and Amazonian holly guayusa leaves.
Mate is made by steeping dried leaves of yerba mate in hot water and is served with a metal straw (bambija or masassa) from a gourd (finjan).
Often locals can be seen carrying leather cases containing a thermos of hot water, the traditional hollowed gourd called a mate or guampa, a metal straw called a bombilla, and the dried yerba mate leaves.
Asado, dulce de leche, empanadas, and yerba mate are found throughout Argentina.
The export of yerba mate and valuable wood products maintained the balance of trade between Paraguay and the outside world.