Page 77 - #51 English

Since consumers have noticed mate’s expanding
flavors and health benefits, its popularity has shot
upwards in Western countries in recent years. (Left) Green mate and (Right) the less well known “toasted mate” are appealing to new consumers.

tonnage amounted to almost 890,000 The estate mate trees are grown
metric tons, shared out between Brazil, from seeds and the plants will produce
58 percent; Argentina, 32 percent; and their first crop from years four to five
Paraguay, 10 percent. onwards. The harvest is some sort of
selective pruning, which takes place
When the Jesuits firstly exported
some mate to Europe in the early IS1’1 every year, between May and July, with
century, cocoa, coffee and tea had already the stems being allowed to grow their
been introduced. Most likely there was new shoots for 24 months. These trees
no further room next to these three new will be yielding crops for about 40 years.
Area of Yerba mate occurrence exotic beverages, so mate did not get After a flush heating, in order to stop all
enzymatic activity, the material is left to
any significant foothold in the Western
markets at that time. It is the domestic aeration and drying for 24 hours. After-
plantations in their missions in Paraguay consumption that continues to thrive wards the larger stems are removed, the
and even exported some mate to Europe. and to take up most of the production. softer, smaller stems remainto impart
After their expulsion from the lands in Some exports are going to the Middle sweetness to the cup, and the material is
1777, these plantations were left unat- East, mainly to Syria and Lebanon, where shredded. The traditional mate isgreen,
tended and decayed. the mate fashion was introduced in the similar to green tea, and has not under-
Much political turmoil generated 2000s by former expatriates. Germany, gone any oxidation. Today, there is also
“toasted mate” on the market, with a
by the rivalry between the Spanish and with its longstanding habit of consuming brown color and a nutty roasted flavor.
the Portuguese colonial power, with herbal drinks, is also a significant im-
shifting borders, finally ended after porter. It is only recently that a new Juliana Montagner, an agricultural
World War II with an agreed political audience for this drink has developed engineer who works for the Brazilian
establishment in South America. The in North America and various European family company Ximango, located in
various state boundaries clearly defined countries. Ilopolis, rio Grande del Sul, is passionate
the home territory of the mate tree, about the mate. recently, the company
which appeared to stretchover northern The Other Green Brew purchased new state of the art drying
Argentina (Corrientes and Missiones), There are many parallels between equipment, which was inaugurated with
Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil the traditional Western tea and coffee the attendance of government represen-
(rio Grande do Sul, Santa Gatarina, consumption habits which make mate tatives and university researchers. Xi-
Parana and Matto Grosso). easy to accept and to understand whilst mango is also deeply involved in main-
still maintaining its profile as an attrac- taining high standards for sustainability
This area was previously covered tive novelty. and social responsibility in this rainfore-
by the huge South American Atlantic starea, with many local villages involved
rainforest, one of the world’s richest Like fine coffees and teas, mate’s in the mate farming.
biodiversity spots; the mate tree belongs shade-grown wild forest trees yield
to the several species that prosper in higher quality material, with dark green Montagner noted that one of her
the shade below the canopy. Since the lush leaves and richer, yet mellower projects is obtaining PGI-Protected Geo-
rh
beginning of the 20 century, European flavors. Similar to tea and coffee, there graphical Indication-for the mate coming
settlers in southern Brazil have been is great skill involved in harvesting the from the Taquari Valley and the area
successful in reviving the commercial produce by the native population, whilst around Ilopolis. “This place, bordering on
growing practices, which increased the the bigger commercial estates may use a dense rainforest area, is the heart land
production and harvesting of the natu- more mechanical equipment for a of the mate tree; it would therefore deserve
rally grown trees. standard quality. The trees require spe- PGI for the high quality of the plant
cific climatic and soil conditions, which material” she said.
Today, according to data from the are uniqueand as such, similar to the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), South African rooibos plant’s exclusive As medical research and public
a United Nations body located in rome, topography. To date, neither the rooibos health issues converge to confirm the
Italy, global mate production continues to bush nor the mate tree has been accli- considerable health benefits that are
increase gradually. In 2012, the total mated outside their original grounds. provided by the mate brew, the focus on
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