Drinking chai is part of life in India and most Indian’s are amazed at all the current fuss in the West. Many who have traveled in India come away with fond chai drinking experiences. We have included many of these in our Chai Experiences section.

So, now, we are making Chai part of our life… Try it today!

When you consider the history of Yerba Mate, one can’t over look its significance to the native culture of South America. Steeped (pardon the pun) in a rich history of discovery and festival, Yerba Mate is a symbol of the richness of the people who drink Mate.The Facts: 
Yerba Mate was first scientifically classified by Swiss botanist Moses Bertoni, who settled in Paraguay in 1895. The plant is grown and processed mainly in South America, more specifically in Northern Argentina (Corrientes, Misiones), Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul). The Guaraní are reputed to be the first people who cultivated the plant; the first Europeans to do this were Jesuit missionaries, who spread the drinking habit as far as Ecuador and Southern Chile.

Drinks, And Variety:
The infusion called mate is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd (also called a guampa in Spanish, or cabaça or cuia in Portuguese) with a metal straw (a bombilla in Spanish, bomba in Portuguese) is a common social practice in Argentina,^[3][4] Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, eastern Bolivia and southern and western Brazil ^[5] and has been cultivated in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

The Health Benefits:
In mouse studies^[20][21], ilex paraguensis tea has been shown to lessen the tendency towards obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Consumption of yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ) improves serum lipid parameters in healthy dyslipidemic subjects and provides an additional LDL-cholesterol reduction in individuals on statin therapy.

Research shows that yerba maté preparations can alter the concentration of members of the ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) family, resulting in an elevated level of extracellular ATP, ADP, and AMP. This was found with chronic ingestion (15 days) of an aqueous yerba mate extract, and may {OR} lead to a novel mechanism for manipulation of vascular regenerative factors, i.e., treating heart disease.

In an investigation of yerba mate antioxidant activity, there was a correlation found between content of caffeoyl-derivatives and antioxidant capacity (AOC). Amongst a group of Ilex species, Ilex paraguariensis antioxidant activity was the highest.

Thank you to Wikipedia for all the great data… I even learned some about Mate!

If there was anything you could do to improve your standing in the Facebook world, this would be it… Seriously, stop reading this blog and become a fan!

1. Try adding a little “spice” to your Mate’ this year. Yerba Mate‘ now comes in a variety of flavors. If you’re the standard mate-er, try opening up your palate and enjoy the Chai version to start with.
2. Once a week, try a tea ceremony. The Japanese and other Eastern cultures have wonderful rituals regarding tea. Here is an interesting video of a Japanese tea ceremony. Why not make your tea drinking something special.
3. Convert a coffee drinker… Enough said!
4. Pair a meal with Mate’. It can be done; it just hasn’t yet… Check out this website that discusses the topic. Hey, these are resolutions for me too, so I’m learning as well.
5. DRINK MORE MATE’

Again, post a comment and let’s make a real resolution mix…

Have a wonderful new year!

Thank you to http://www.flickr.com/photos/brighton/2153602543/ for the great picture!