Everything You Need to Know About Yerba Mate Tea, the South American Super-Beverage

Yerba mate tastes like a tea and hits you like a coffee—and yet, it's technically neither. If you're looking for a boost of energy that doesn't come from an espresso bean, look no further than this South American super-beverage made from the steeped leaves and twigs of an indigenous plant, which has been providing locals with a natural pick-me-up for centuries. Herbal yerba mate tea contains roughly as much caffeine as coffee, about 80 milligrams per cup.

The drink itself dates back to the pre-Columbian era when the local Guaraní people in Paraguay discovered and started to aggressively cultivate the Ilex paraguariensis plant (a member of the holly family), dry the leaves and twigs, and infuse them in hot water—mainly as a wellness beverage. Once the Spanish colonized Paraguay in the 17th century, they too began drinking it, and it became the country's chief export. Other South American countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Chile grew the crop as well, and even after the arrival of coffee and other kinds of tea in South America, yerba mate remained one of the most popular drinks in the area.

Strong, bitter, and vegetal, yerba mate has a very distinctive taste that, like coffee, can require an adjustment period. "It's very expressive, like this euphoric experience," says Ashleigh Parsons, former co-owner of Los Angeles hotspot Alma at The Standard, who used to live in Argentina. Depending on how much you consume, she says, "It can feel very trippy. The caffeine in it can really give you this high."

There's even a time-honored ritual around the consumption of yerba mate that celebrates this sensation. That ritual is described in the name yerba mate, which translates to "gourd herb," referring to the tea's traditional drinking vessel. It requires a mate (dried gourd), a bombilla (a special straw for drinking that filters out the leaves), and a thermos for transporting the hot water. The practice typically takes place in a park or some kind of outside gathering spot. Individuals sit in a circle, and one person—called the cebador—fills the mate about two-thirds full with the leaves and adds a little bit of warm water to release the flavors. The cebador then inserts the bombilla into the mate at an angle to ensure the straw doesn't get plugged up and tops it off with hot water (never boiling, as that will burn the leaves). The gourd gets passed around, and everyone takes a sip through the bombilla. (Tip: Never use the bombilla to stir; this is considered very impolite!)

Mates and bombillas vary widely in appearance, and in South America, each person will usually have their own unique set. Mates are most traditionally made of actual gourds, but they can also be made from ceramic or wood and painted decoratively. Bombillas, too, can be made from various materials, including silver, stainless steel, and bamboo.

As the gourd gets passed around, it will keep getting refilled with hot water, each subsequent pour intensifying the taste of the leaves. If bitter isn't your thing, you can always add sugar or milk to your yerba mate—though if you want to drink as the locals do, you'll take it without any add-ins. As for food pairings, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to yerba mate, but it's not uncommon to see pastries or crackers served alongside the drink.

This elaborate process certainly isn't the only way people drink yerba mate. Just as with our morning coffee, many South Americans prepare a thermos of this herbal tea to drink throughout the day for a burst of energy.

Still, according to Parsons, the act of passing around the mate in South America is widely considered to be "an art and a conversational piece," she says. "It's this communal beverage, and the entire ritual of drinking it is meant to be connective and celebratory."

Yerba mate, of course, eventually migrated over to the U.S., and in recent years has become a popular ingredient in everything from health elixirs to energy drinks. It's hailed not only as an energy booster, but also as a means for weight loss, concentration, and better digestion. Loose leaves can be purchased at most specialty grocery stores to make the drink at home. And if you want to get the full yerba mate experience, Parsons says, you can even order a mate and bombilla online, gather some friends, and enjoy the beauty of the South American ritual for yourself.