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Primarily associated with coca mate, Bolivia , like its neighbors, is a country where people love mate . It is even one of the largest importers in the world.
Before getting into the heart of the matter, here is a point on the difference between coca mate and maté .
Coca leaves and yerba mate are often confused, especially in Bolivia. That's why we published an article on the difference between coca mate and yerba mate .
But to make a long story short, both are infusions of different plants .
Coca mate is an infusion of coca leaves ( Erythroxylum coca ) while maté is an infusion of yerba mate ( Ilex Paraguariensis ).
The confusion stems from the fact that the word "mate" ("mate" in Spanish) is used to refer to all types of infusion. In reality, the expression "mate de coca" simply means "coca infusion."
Popular in the Andes mountains from Colombia to Chile, coca leaves are widely consumed to combat altitude sickness as well as for their energizing effect . They can be chewed or consumed as an infusion: coca mate.
Coca mate
And the country where it is consumed the most is probably Bolivia, a country where the altitude would give more than one person a headache. For example, La Paz, the administrative capital of the country, is located at almost 3,600 meters above sea level (not counting the airport, nestled at more than 4,000m in the El Alto district )!
La Paz, a Bolivian city perched in the mountains
Coca mate plays a similar role in Bolivia to that of coffee in France. It is consumed almost daily by a large portion of the population. It is frequently mixed with anise and chamomile. The coca-anise-chamomile blend is called tri-mate.
Tri-Mate (Bolivia)
The consumption of coca leaves is an old tradition. As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galleano recounts in one of the greatest South American classics, "The Open Veins of Latin America ," coca leaves were massively consumed by the native populations before and during the Spanish conquest. This is evidenced by the sad story of Potosi, where thousands of miners frantically chewed coca leaves to have the energy necessary to work in the extremely difficult conditions of Cerro Rico , then the largest silver mine in the world .
Cerro Rico in Potosi (Bolivia)
Due to its Guarani population and its proximity to Argentina , Paraguay and Brazil , Bolivia is a country where mate (yerba mate infusion) remains quite important.
It is found mainly in the Gran Chaco region , which includes the departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca, territories with a strong Guarani presence . It is also consumed in other regions such as Potosi , due to its geographical location and trade with the neighboring country of Argentina . It is consumed relatively little in other provinces of the country, although yerba mate can be found in all the markets of the nation.
