Mate is an inseparable companion of Uruguayans and a warm welcoming gesture for newcomers. The yerba mate infusion is stimulating.

Mate is a drink resulting from the infusion of “yerba mate” (dehydrated and ground leaves of Illex paraguayensis) and is one of the most typical and traditional cultural elements of Uruguayan society.
The custom of using the “thermos” and the abandonment of the “caldera” to prepare the infusion, is an Uruguayan initiative that freed the mate out of the home. This way and at present, mate is drunk in the most diverse public spaces, a fact that characterizes one of the most typical and daily images of our society.
Surely, if you have ever met a Uruguayan outside these borders, you have seen him or her accompanied by his or her “thermos and mate”, inseparable companions, regardless of the time of the year.

The origin of this drink dates back to pre-Hispanic times of the Guarani culture, but since the 17th century, while in Europe the custom of drinking tea was imposed, here in South America and specifically in Uruguay, the habit of drinking mate spread.
Initially, mate became an inseparable companion of the country man. Cimarrón, bitter, green, it was his faithful friend in his journeys through the fields, in moments of loneliness and also in moments of joy. With the passing of the years it conquered its place in the city, and today drinking mate is a common practice throughout Uruguay, as well as in Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

Depending on the place, the moment, or with whom you drink mate, it acquires different meanings. It can be a food, or just the companion of idle hours. It accompanies students, groups of friends, family, co-workers. It is an element of communion and the symbol of welcome for those who are greeted with a “mate calentito” at the door of the house, the mate is generally taken in a shared way, and the same container and the same bombilla are always used, passing it from one person to another. This fact is what distinguishes it notably from the way in which other infusions, such as tea or coffee, are shared.

Yerba mate has substances of high nutritional value, such as vitamin A. The particular composition of yerba mate, especially its caffeine content, makes the infusion a very stimulating and tonic drink. It also acts as a diuretic and vasodilator.