http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage)
Mate is made from the leaves of the Yerba Mate plant, and is a very popular beverage in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and inmigrant communities (in Syria and Lebanon for example) While not as omnipresent as before, it is still popular with both youths and older people; there are whole supermarket racks dedicated to it here in Argentina. Could it be as popular worldwide as coffee or tea?
Some things to take in account:
It is a social beverage. You can see wikipedia for details, but it is served in a single recipent made of a gourd (the mate itself) and passed around the group who drinks it from a metal straw (bombilla), making it unlike tea or coffee that are served individually. This may make it popular with the lower classes and families (most families and friends here share it while doing other activities), but I have no idea if aristocrats or intelectuals may find this very endearing. Another fact is that once the water runs out or becomes cold, the mate must be filled again with yerba, thus making it somewhat wasteful.
Until the introduction of the metal kettle, water was heated in pots and served with them, which understandably meant common burns. Water could be heated and then served from porcelain teapots, but they were a luxury item before the 1800, if I'm not mistaken.
Mate is produced in plantations, much like coffee, tea and sugar. If it became more popular worldwide, would this unfortunately mean than slavery would become more popular in South America? I'm not sure what other regions are conductive to grow the plant, but Africa and India seem likely choices.
Mate is made from the leaves of the Yerba Mate plant, and is a very popular beverage in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and inmigrant communities (in Syria and Lebanon for example) While not as omnipresent as before, it is still popular with both youths and older people; there are whole supermarket racks dedicated to it here in Argentina. Could it be as popular worldwide as coffee or tea?
Some things to take in account:
It is a social beverage. You can see wikipedia for details, but it is served in a single recipent made of a gourd (the mate itself) and passed around the group who drinks it from a metal straw (bombilla), making it unlike tea or coffee that are served individually. This may make it popular with the lower classes and families (most families and friends here share it while doing other activities), but I have no idea if aristocrats or intelectuals may find this very endearing. Another fact is that once the water runs out or becomes cold, the mate must be filled again with yerba, thus making it somewhat wasteful.
Until the introduction of the metal kettle, water was heated in pots and served with them, which understandably meant common burns. Water could be heated and then served from porcelain teapots, but they were a luxury item before the 1800, if I'm not mistaken.
Mate is produced in plantations, much like coffee, tea and sugar. If it became more popular worldwide, would this unfortunately mean than slavery would become more popular in South America? I'm not sure what other regions are conductive to grow the plant, but Africa and India seem likely choices.