Page 38 - Martial Science Magazine April 2017

nutritional value” and that honey or iced with lemon has with its energy-boost-
yerba mate contains “prac- and mint, the combina- ing beverage of choice,
tically all of the vitamins tions are endless. mate.
necessary to sustain life.”
Yerba mate, is a shade sub- Mate is an infusion made
Yerba mate contains caffeine, tropical. Like high quality by steeping the dried
theophylline, and theobromine, coffee, high quality mate leaves of the yerba mate
well-known stimulants also is shade-grown; delivering plant (a species of the
found in tea, coffee and more flavor and containing holly family) in near-boil-
chocolate. The caffeine more medicinal and nutri- ing water. It is traditional-
content varies between tional properties than the ly drank from a calabasa
that of green tea and commercially grown, sun gourd — though these
coffee. Unlike tea, yerba farmed varieties. It thrives days the drinking vessel
mate has a low tannin con- in its natural rainforest can be made out of just
tent so it can be strong like environment located be- about anything — with a
coffee without becoming tween the 10th and 30th silver metal straw called
extremely bitter. Unlike parallels, in high humidity a bombilla (pronounced
coffee, yerba mate is not with up to 1500 mm of Bombisha). The straw is in-
oily and acid forming, so it annual rainfall. (http:// tegral to the drinking pro-
is less likely to cause stom- guayaki.com/mate/130/ cess because it filters out
ach acid and jitters. Yerba-Mate.html). the leaves. Drank straight,
a sip of hot mate will taste

Yerba mate is very versa- The Brits might have a a lot like a strong, slightly
bitter tea and it has been
tile and can be prepared deeply-steeped tea tradi- enjoyed in the Southern
tion. The Italians’ espres-
a variety of ways, from a so game is surely strong. Hemisphere for hundreds
tea infuser or French press Americans know where it’s of years.
to a coffee machine, even
an espresso maker. It can at when it comes to iced Mate has a long history
coffee. But none of that
be consumed hot, or cold, compares to the strong tra- in Uruguay, Argentina,
and served with milk and Paraguay, Southern Bra
dition that South America
zil and Bolivia. It is not

uncommon to see the ma-
jority of the population in
Uruguay walking the streets
with mate in hand and a
thermos of hot water under
arm to refill the drink as it
gets low. Its custom to add
water to yerba mate until it
loses its flavor.

38 MARTIALSCIENCEMAGAZINE.COM