text: Smallflower Yerba Mate (6 oz)
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  Yerba Maté - (Ilex paraguariensis) is a holly tree native to the South American rainforest. The leaves are harvested by indegenous people in Paraguay and used to make a traditional drink by the same name. This drink is said by enthusiasts to have the strength of coffee, health benefits of tea, and the joy of chocolate. It is extremely popular in South America, so much so, it has been proclaimed the national beverage of not one, but three countries: Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Mate leaves are naturally caffeinated and are quite the antioxidant powerhouse. Yerba Mate contains 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids, making it a very well-balanced caffeinated drink without all the jitters that may come from coffee. Yerba Mate has a strong, earthy, bitter flavor and is traditionally consumed unsweetened from a hollowed-out gourd, through a metal straw called a bambillo. Yerba Mate can also be steeped in the same manner as tea, sweetened to taste and sipped from your favorite cup or mug.