Yerba Mate: One of the best drinks in the world

Unique for its countless benefits and its peculiar preparation, yerba mate has been recognized as one of the 50 most delicious drinks in the World by the popular magazine CNN Travel, after studying beverages from several destinations and picking “the best and more refreshing liquids”.

A “surprising and pleasing” discovery

Mate ranks #35 and is described as one of the world’s “most surprising and pleasing discoveries”. And even though the author does not specify the reasons, we can agree that mate’s incredible health benefits as well as its energizing and comforting effect can be, in fact, very surprising and pleasant.

Although mate’s growing popularity around the World is relatively recent; this ancestral tradition is actually part of everyday life for the natives of South America. CNN explains it well: “the caffeinated bevvie is so much a part of the South American scene — popular in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil– that drinking it there instantly turns you into a debonair local”.

CNN Travel also highlights that mate is “made by steeping the leaves of the South American rainforest holly tree in hot water” and that is “served in a hollow gourd with a metal straw”. Drinking mate involves a social ceremony that makes it a cultural symbol.

Better than Beer and Piña Colada?

In their top 50, CNN Travel decided to place Mate above one of the most famous beers in the world (47th place), the world’s best-selling energy drink (49th place), piña colada (46th place) and whiskey (39th place). Water is at the top of the list.