Yerba mate is used to make a beverage known as MATE. When served cold, the drink is called TERERE in Guaraní. It is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America, primarily in Paraguay, as well as in Argentina, Uruguay, southern and central-western Brazil, the CHACO REGION of Bolivia and southern Chile. It is also popular in the DRUZE community in Syria and Lebanon, where it is imported from Argentina. Yerba mate was first cultivated and used by the indigenous GUARANI PEOPLE and in someTUPI communities in southern Brazil, prior to European colonization. Yerba mate can be found in various energy drinks on the market, as well as being sold as a bottled or canned iced tea.
