Maté Energizer is one of the new healthy Dripl drinks you can drink from the Refill Point. Yerba maté is an infusion of young leaves and buds from a maté plant, but there is so much more behind this tasty drink. Discover 5 interesting facts about yerba maté and thus 5 more reasons why you should taste this Dripl drink. Because even the greatest soccer players, such as Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, cannot resist this southern delicacy.

Fact #1: The healing power of maté

Maté is packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyphenols, saponins and glycosides. Does that sound like Chinese to you, too? No worries, we've done our job and researched for you how maté really helps our bodies.

Maté, because of its chemical composition, is a delight to our bodies. This plant can cause us to have more energy, concentrate better at work, and feel better about ourselves. This is possible because maté contains a concentration of caffeine, which is released more slowly and has a milder but long-lasting effect than coffee. Drinking maté strengthens your resistance to fatigue and can also help with feelings of depression. The body's immune system is also strengthened by the saponins and vitamins C and E found in yerba maté leaves.(Health Benefits)

Because of these positive effects of maté on our bodies, it is often suggested that maté is better than coffee. Surely a better drink for the office hardly exists?

Fact #2: Personalize your maté however you like

Maté can be drunk in many different ways. You can choose whether you prefer the drink cold or hot, and whether you even want milk or juice with it. 

Depending on where you are in the world, this tea is drunk differently. Argentines and Brazilians prefer to drink the yerba maté warm with hot water (be careful, not hot water), while in Paraguay, people prefer to drink it cold. 

But not only does the temperature differ with yerba maté, so does what the drink is drunk in. Maté cups come in many shapes, sizes and materials. A well-known drinking cup for drinking your yerba maté is called a "gourd. This drinking cup comes from South America and is made from a natural product, an indigenous species of pumpkin. The gourd can actually enhance the taste of the yerba maté if you maintain it properly. But we still prefer to drink the yerba maté from our refillable drinking bottles. 

Fact #3: La Bombilla

Yerba maté is drunk through an iron straw, better known as a "bombilla". They use this special straw because its special design makes it impossible to drink the yerba matés leaves. The bombilla consists of 3 parts: it has a spout (where you drink from), a neck (the piece between the spout and the filter) and a filter. Often you are not allowed to touch the bombilla during the ceremony where you share the yerba maté with others.(Yerba Matero)

Fact #4: Maté etiquette

Because yerba maté is drunk so much in South America, it has often become a part of the daily life of locals. Sharing yerba maté with friends or strangers has a special meaning. It is seen as a sign of friendship and conviviality. Throughout history, yerba maté has always been shared between people, regardless of the social classes in their society. 

When one wants to share yerba maté, it involves a special ceremony. In Argentina, yerba maté is drunk from a gourd passed around in a circle of people. Everyone drinks from the bombilla, emptying the entire gourd. Then the person refills the gourd, and passes it counterclockwise to the next person. And did you know that you are not allowed to say "thank you" when you get the gourd? You may only thank the person when the gourd is empty or you've had enough to drink, because by saying "thank you" you show that you've had enough to drink.(Art of Tea)

Fact number 5: Gift from the Gods

The origins of yerba maté begin with the indigenous Guaraní people. They used this tea as an object of worship and also used it to barter for other products with other peoples. The Guaraní people saw yerba maté as a gift from the gods.(Google Arts & Culture)
Yerba maté seduces everyone. In fact, the love for yerba maté goes so far that in Argentina, locals behold it as part of their identity. Since 2015, there has even been a national holiday on Nov. 30 to venerate yerba maté.(Spanish Academy)

Got thirsty too?

Did these facts make you thirsty too? And would you also like to test how our Maté Energizer tastes? Request a sample pack and enjoy! 

Want all the facts in a row again? Watch our video and get a recap of this blog post!