What is mate tea? Traditional South American drink loved by Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez now taking England World Cup squad by storm
The caffeine-rich drink is massively popular in South America and is spreading quickly among Three Lions stars
THERE is a new craze sweeping through the England dressing room: South American herbal tea.
Eric Dier and Danny Rose have revealed they are hooked on Mate (pronounced mah-teh), a caffeine-rich infused drink sipped through a specially-made decorative gourd with a straw.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all big drinkers during their time at Barcelona, while the drink has spread to the Premier League with the influx of South American talent.
Dier revealed Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino got him onto the drink - and he's now "a bit addicted".
He said: "At Tottenham, quite a lot of us have started drinking this thing called Mate. I am a bit addicted to it!
"At Tottenham, we have a lot of Argentinians at the club, so I started drinking it with them. And now we are trying to pretend to be South Americans!"
Rose added: "The Spurs boys drink quite a lot and the gaffer — he loves it.
"Me and Eric spend our afternoons playing UNO and sipping tea."
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What is Mate?
The traditional tea comes from the Yerba Mate plant, with consumption stretching back centuries to pre-Colonial South America.
It was first drunk by the indigenous Guarani and also by the Tupi for medicinal purposes.
Spanish South American colonies then saw its rapid expansion and it was widely consumed from at least as early as the late 16th Century.
Today, Brazil is its biggest producer, while Uruguayans are the biggest consumers - it is also drunk extensively across the Middle East, with Syria and Lebanon huge importers.
Mate at a glance
- Caffeine-rich herbal tea from the Yerba mate plant
- Drunk in a specially-made goblet called a gourd, through a straw
- Gourds traditionally made from hollowed out calabashes, but are now highly decorative
- Hot, but not boiling, water added to dried and chopped leaves
- Partiuclar preparation a key part of the drink - too little or too much ruins it
- Meant to be drunk in a group, but can be drunk alone
- An acquired taste, compared to dirt or soil when first tasted
- Has health benefits as it contains vitamins and high in antioxidants, increases alertness
- However, has been linked to some cancers and is addictive because of high caffeine content
How do you prepare Mate?
The preparation is almost as important as the drinking itself.
Leaves are sold after being dried, chopped and ground into a powdery mixture.
They are then placed into a hollow goblet called a gourd - traditionally these are made from hollowed out calabashes, a large melon-like fruit - and drunk through a straw, sometimes known as bombillas.
Gourds also come in highly-decorative designs, with silver straws and decoration not uncommon.
Tea-bag types of Mate are also used, but leaving the leaves in the cup is the more traditional way, with care taken over how much is placed - the person making it doesn't want too much or too little in the gourd.
Half to three-quarters full is typical.
The person preparing it then covers the opening and shakes it from upside-down and then side-to-side, to get the powdery particles to the top and the leaves to the bottom and to ensure a more consistent flavour.
Ideally, a slope will be built with the finest particles should be closest to the straw, with the larger stems layered along one side and a gap to allow consumption.
The straw is then inserted along the slope, a splash of cold water is added, then once it is settled, hot but not boiling, water is poured over the leaves.
Kettles in Argentina and Uruguay even have a special thermostat to switch off before boiling point for Mate drinking.
How do you drink Mate?
It is a highly social drink with the preparation and sharing of the drink as important as the consumption itself.
Typically made for sharing, a single gourd of Mate can be drunk around 20 times before it needs to be refilled or the water gets cold.
Customs change from region to region, while sugar and honey can be added to sweeten the taste, although that is considered untraditional.
It is drunk through the straw with people sharing turns in taking a sip - holding onto the gourd for too long is considered a no-no.
More hot water can be added to make the drink last longer before it loses all flavour.
If travelling, drinkers will often fill a thermal flask with hot water to top up their gourd.
What does Mate taste like?
It has been described as a mix between tea and coffee, although the taste is very unique.
Mate is very bitter when unsweetened and is an acquired taste - like tea or coffee it is something that doesn't taste great on first try but that you get used to over time.
Some have described it as tasting like earth, dirt or soil.
It comes in different brands and flavours, with the thickness of the liquid also varying.
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What is Mate for?
Apart from being drunk because of its social and cultural benefits, Mate has some medicinal purposes.
In South America it is seen as a bit of a cure-all remedy - being used to help get over common colds, altitude sickness and more.
It contains vitamins B and C, and has a higher antioxidant capacity than green tea.
Mate can act as an appetite suppressant and weight loss tool, while its high caffeine content increases mental energy and focus - although also harms sleep and is addictive.
Some studies have found it to reduce diabetes and high blood sugar in mice, although there are also some correlations to oral, esophagael and cancer because of large Mate consumption.