Text: Yerba Mate
Voiceover: Yerba is a natural plant borne of the sun and earth in ancient times. Its history is rooted deeply in South America, as yerba grows naturally in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. "Yerba mate", which means "to drink yerba" is harvested from this plant to become a delightful beverage filled with energy.
Maria: My name is Maria Ines Cervino and I am from Tucumán, Argentina.
Text: Maria Cervino, Yerba Mate Connoisseur
Maria: Yerba mate is like a tea, you can say. It's harvested and then it's dried in the sun originally and then it's crushed. And you can crush it just the leaves and it's more powdery or you crush it with some of the stems.
Maria: It's called mate because that's what it is, the container. They come in different sizes and different shapes, too. And then they use a straw. They are called bombillas. It's a straw and has a bit like a colander at the end of it with little holes to stop the powder from coming to your mouth.
Maria: Drinking mate is a tradition that's been happening in Argentina and in some other countries in the south for centuries. There is always mate happening and it goes back and forth. Everybody drinks from the same and they take turns. It's conversation. It means intimacy?friendship.
Voiceover: To make this beverage, take one mate and fill it about two-thirds full with crushed, dried yerba. Shake to produce an even texture, making sure that the mate and the yerba remain angled. Add hot water that has not yet reached boiling temperature and place the bombilla firmly in the mate to experience a reviving sensation that is perfect for sharing.