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This article is part of a series of 4 articles on the importance of mate in the culture of its 4 main consuming countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.
It is often thought, rightly or wrongly, that mate comes from Argentina or Uruguay, without ever thinking of Paraguay.
Perhaps because this small country has no football star to be its ambassador?
Today the third largest producer of mate in the world, Paraguay is also the cradle of mate.
Paraguay is a (small) country in South America that is quite unknown, whose capital is Asunción. It has the particularity of having 2 official languages: Spanish and Guarani.
This country is neighboring Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia. It is one of the only countries in Latin America (along with Bolivia) that has no access to the ocean.
The plant used for the production of mate, Ilex paraguariensis, originates from the border region between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The indigenous populations of the region were already consuming this plant in various ways.
It was the Spaniards who made the first written records of its consumption in a particular region, now known as Paraguay.
Living in the region of Paraguay, the Guaranis were the main responsible for the spread of mate in the southern part of the American continent.
Moreover, several Spanish texts from the 16th century state that mate was first known as the herb of Paraguay (yerba del Paraguay) because it came from this region.
Like most of its neighbors, Paraguay has a national mate day!
And yes, mate is celebrated on October 11 each year, since the government declared a "National Yerba Mate Day" on September 25, 1997.
Mate is one of the most important products of the national industry with a production of 40,000 tons per year, providing jobs to no less than 55,000 Paraguayans.
Although being a large producer of mate, Paraguay exports very little (export is difficult, Paraguay is poorly connected to the global market due to lack of access to the ocean).
Of the 40,000 tons produced annually, only 2,000 are exported. The remaining 38,000 tons are intended for local consumption.
The main importing countries of Paraguayan mate are (in order):Unlike iced tea, which is prepared with hot water and then cooled, Tereré is prepared directly with cold water. This drink is often prepared with fruit juices (orange, lemon, grapefruit...) to which herbs are added.
In Paraguay, where temperatures sometimes exceed 40°C, Tereré is the ideal drink to cool off. It is not uncommon to see people walking around with a matera (a container for carrying their mate and accessories) to drink mate throughout the day.
Just like the classic maté that is shared in what is called the "ronda de mate", tereré is shared during the "ronda de tereré".
The "ronda de mate" or "ronda de tereré" consists of sitting in a circle and passing the maté from person to person. It is a moment of sharing and conviviality deeply rooted in the culture surrounding maté.
Paraguay also holds the world record (officially in the Guinness World Records!) for the largest "ronda de tereré", gathering 1,332 participants in 2017.
Interested in tereré? We are working on designing a special tereré blend for next summer!
Unlike traditional maté, tereré is prepared and consumed in a calabash that is a bit larger, called guampa. It is traditionally made from a hollow bull's horn or leather, but can now also be found in ceramic or glass.
Tereré is prepared with maté similar to that used for preparing traditional maté. The main difference lies in the fact that the maté used for tereré generally has a very strong taste.
Here are the most well-known Paraguayan yerba maté brands:
Founded in 1950, Pajarito is one of the largest maté companies in Paraguay, with a production of 20 tons of maté per day. It stands out with its traditional maté that has a very strong taste and a pronounced bitterness.
Kurupi is a yerba maté brand founded by a couple of Paraguayan doctors, who offer maté not as a classic drink, but as a medicinal herb.
Campesino is the favorite maté brand in Paraguay when it comes to flavored matés.
