Yerba mate price soars but consumers remain faithful to the traditional infusion

Monday, August 5th 2013 - 01:38 UTC

Full article 23 comments

Yerba mate, the classical infusion drink in much of southern South America and particularly in Uruguay is making headlines because of a 34% price increase in the last six months and with prospects of further hikes, according to local providers. Read full article

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ChrisR
Bloody awful stuff and I think borders on a soft drug if the manner of addiction I have seen with my friends is anything to go by.

I don't know about aids digestion, one of our friends, on offering her cup. said “you might have a sour stomach until you get used to it”.

No chance of that.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 08:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
This is a matter of much more importance than who is going to be the next President of Uruguay.

Chris, you can always drink it like the old ladies, with sugar and milk.
You can also play conga while you're at it...

You can also man up and I'll teach you to play Truco, with Piezas, of course, over a ruedita de mate ;)
Aug 05th, 2013 - 09:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Sir Rodderick Bodkin
As an argentine myself, i always considered that thing nasty, unhygienic and disgusting.
I never drank Mate, and i never will. I only drink tea or coffee.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 10:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
You also call yourself “Sir”...
Aug 05th, 2013 - 11:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Sir Rodderick Bodkin
@4 And your point is?
Just fyi, this is not a real name.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 11:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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ElaineB
I asked some Chilean friends why the Mate habit never really caught on there. They replied that it is unhygienic and they can afford one cup each when drinking beverages. LOL

Of course there is much more to the tradition of drinking Mate. It does contain a lot of a drug similar to caffeine and many Argentine friends swear it aids slimming. I never indulged in a Mate circle as I cannot bring myself to share the spit and germs of people I have just met.

I have tried it in the UK and quite enjoyed it but not as much as I enjoy a really good coffee.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 11:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
Elaine
Mate is a social thing. A mate circle is something for your friends and family, around an asado or by the beach.
Everybody that drinks mate has the equipment to do so, and when the mate is shared, it's not amongst strangers.
Maybe if somebody wants to taste it, but that's not common practice.
If you ever find yourself in a rueda and don't want to drink more, just say “gracias” and the mate will not come again.
And for those who associates mate with drugs, it's just an infusion, just like tea, a herb you put water on.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Tea-Versus-Yerba-Mate---Discover-The-Health-Benefits-Of-These-Two-Before-Your-Next-Cup-Of-Brew&id=607407

”An average cup (6 oz.) of green tea contains approximately 50 milligrams of caffeine. For those of you sensitive to caffeine, green tea is available in a decaffeinated tea form and supplemental form. In other words, the caffeine has been removed.

What about the yerba mate's caffeine content?

An average cup (6 oz.) of yerba mate contains approximately 50 milligrams of caffeine.

So, how much caffeine is in a cup of brewed coffee? On average, it is approximately 100 to 150 milligrams per cup.”

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Tea-Versus-Yerba-Mate---Discover-The-Health-Benefits-Of-These-Two-Before-Your-Next-Cup-Of-Brew&id=607407

As for the rest of the compared benefits, it would seem the best would be to drink mate AND tea....
Aug 05th, 2013 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
(7) Stevie

As you say at (2), this is too IMPORTANT a matter to be left on the ignorant hands of porteñitos ainglesados as ”Sir Rodderick Bodkin” or gringos vagos y malentretenidios as ”ChrisR” or ”ElaineB”…….

For your info, in the south of Chile, the mate is ubiquitous and we drink it many times with sugar…………..............…. Yessssss; with SUGAR!!!
As my best baqueano from Aysén once, loooong ago, told me ”La vida es suficientemente amarga como para andar tomando mate sin azuqitar…”

http://identidadyfuturo.cl/2012/01/el-mate-en-la-historia-de-chile/

Gracias
Aug 05th, 2013 - 01:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
What can I say Think, mate with sugat is like.... tuco with ketchup...
Aug 05th, 2013 - 03:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
(9)Stevie

What does a young Yorugua, hincha de Nacional know about mate?
Doesn't even grow in the ROU!
;-)
Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
Haha Think, Yerba Palo doesn't grow in Uruguay either, now does it?

And you have to admit drinking from a thermos is much easier than the pava...

Next time you are truqueando por Chubut, turn that last Card around, sip mate amargo and feel the liberty of an Oriental.

And what have I ever done to make anyone think I'm a Bolso. Whatever that was, I beg everybodies pardon...
Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
:-)
Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
Or you could turn the world upside down and have probably the best beer in town.

Win-win

;)
Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Sir Rodderick Bodkin
Typical mediocre name calling, ignorant porteñito inglesados. Lol.
First off, i live in province to begin with, and secondly i'm Italian/German descendant.

I stand by my initial statement that mate is dirty and unhygienic at best.
Not every argentine person drinks mate, i have a few friends that dislike it as well, there's nothing wrong with that.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 06:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
Yurnip at (14)
Provinciano ainglesado as ”Sir Rodderick Bodkin”, then......
Aug 05th, 2013 - 06:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Sockpuppet Alert
Think @ 8

'For your info, in the south of Chile, the mate is ubiquitous and we drink it many times with sugar'

The mate?
Many times with sugar?

South of Chile?
Not south of Argentina?

Forget to change your login to your hermanito shileno?
Or just forget how to speak English?
Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Doggy Rap
@ 42 yankeeboy

“You can't afford the jet fuel or spare parts..”

Jet fuel?
Spare parts?

They fly on twisted rubber bands - zatz allz you need :-D
Aug 05th, 2013 - 08:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Sir Rodderick Bodkin
@15
And this is your argument, insults. Yet i proved you're wrong. Who's the ignorant now? ;)
Aug 06th, 2013 - 06:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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lediram
In the U.S. we should try using our own caffeinated plant. yaupon holly. it is in the same family as yerba mate. although it had the same popularity for centuries and same parallel history, its use was discontinued by the early 1900s when it couln't compete with the inexpensive imports of coffe, tea, chocolate, and now yerba mate. most people do not know we have it growing wild right here in the southeastern united states
Aug 06th, 2013 - 09:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
It's the second time they respond “insult” when calling them Brit, English or an equivalent...
Aug 06th, 2013 - 09:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
(19) lediram

Comments like yours make MercoPress worth reading...
Had never heard of Yaupon Holly before !!!
http://news.ufl.edu/2009/06/25/yaupon-drink/
Learned something new today....
Many thanks...
Cool :-)))
Aug 06th, 2013 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Stevie
I agree with Think, another great herb to the collection.
Aug 06th, 2013 - 04:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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toxictaxitrader2
The breakfast Coco I am drinking now improves memory,
Er what was we talking about?
Aug 08th, 2013 - 05:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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