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Paraguayan Holly - Mate Tea
Paraguayan Holly - Mate Tea

Video: Paraguayan Holly - Mate Tea

Video: Paraguayan Holly - Mate Tea
Video: Как Готовить МАТЕ? 🍵 Парагвайский ЧАЙ МАТЭ 🌲 (Обзор, Дегустация) 2024, March
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Paraguayan holly - the plant that gives the famous tea mate of the Guarani Indians

Few people know that under the name Paraguayan holly hides a plant, better known to all of us as the mate plant, from the leaves of which mate tea, which is very fashionable now, is made. The homeland of this drink is places with rainy forests located in the northern part of the interfluve of the Parana and Paraguay rivers.

Mate
Mate

Since ancient times, when Columbus had not yet discovered America, the Guarani Indians were already willing to drink mate. The Indians called this plant "kaa" (grass), the Spanish conquistadors - (Yerba mate), and in scientific reference books it appears as a representative of the genus holly of the holly family (Illex paraguariensis). We know very well that many plants migrated from the American continent and spread all over the world, became so native to us that we sometimes even try to challenge this right. But "Paraguayan tea", as it is sometimes called there, alas, did not leave its area for a very long time, although it still remains one of the favorite drinks among local residents. Or maybe he gets his new popularity due to the fact that we are somehow bored with ordinary tea, we want something else special, unusual.

In the wild, the Paraguayan holly is a branched shrub tree that lives up to fifty years, reaching a height of 15 meters. But in domesticated form, alas, it is a low tree (usually a shrub), no more than 1.5-2 m. And it can no longer boast of longevity: the age ceiling is only 22-25 years old. Mate tea is prepared from its dried and crushed leathery glossy leaves with a serrated edge and from young shoots.

The technology for the production of plant raw materials for this tea, like hundreds of years ago, has remained the same and its harvesting occurs only by hand: the bushes of Paraguayan holly cannot be processed by machine. Perhaps it is for this reason that the spread of this plant as a raw material for a drink, unfortunately, did not receive a decent scale. As a rule, by the end of the growing season, the annual growth of the holly reaches its maximum - the time comes for harvesting plant materials. Armed with long machetes, people (usually men) walk in rows and knock thin branches with leaves from bushes. Behind them are rows of pickers who collect cut raw materials in large baskets. Then it is dried over low heat, after which it must be stored for at least two years in tightly packed bags in the shade under awnings. This procedure is necessary in order toso that fermentation takes place in the leaves, during which bitterness disappears from them, but a kind of "bouquet" of aromas is formed, which gourmets rejoice when drinking this tea. After the final (to a certain size) crushing, the raw materials are packed into beautiful packages, and then they are ready for the retail chain.

Before my business trip to Moscow several years ago, I had already heard a lot about the mate tea, which was fashionable there, and in St. Petersburg, due to the lack of time, I could not try this new product. Therefore, interested in the newfangled metropolitan trend, I asked them to give me newfangled tea there (some of my acquaintances there assured me that this drink is more advanced than the usual good Ceylon tea, coffee or sake). Having poured the crushed leaves of the plant into a cup, they poured boiling water over them: the bitterness was, I note, strong and unpleasant. Guessing that they had prepared my tea incorrectly, I went to a specialized "tea" cafe, where I laid out a decent amount for those times for a couple of modest cups of mate. There is nothing to be done, because for its correct preparation and use it is important to have three specific objects that my friends did not have.

How to drink mate?First of all, if everything is done according to the rules, then mate tea is not drunk from cups. The first attribute is the traditional calabash vessel, specially designed for brewing and drinking mate. It is considered ideal if it is made from a small pumpkin. For this purpose, the top is cut off and the pulp is removed, and the hard shell is dried in the sun (or you can smoke it, as the Indians did, over a fire). The edges of the resulting vessel are bound with metal, the walls are sometimes decorated with silver. It is believed that the special flavor of mate is achieved due to the fact that the surface of the calabash breathes. But now some wealthy mate lovers consider it prestigious to make this traditional container of silver in the form of a pumpkin. The second attribute is bombilla - a special slightly curved (or straight) metal tube made in the form of a mouthpiece,the lower part of which is an extension - a bulb, like a strainer (most often with small holes). The third item can be a thermos of warm water.

It is worth noting: just like in Japan, drinking tea is a real ceremony, so when drinking mate, a kind of ritual is observedand necessarily with these three attributes. Dry tea leaves are poured into the calabash, filling it by two-thirds, while the vessel is tilted so that the entire tea leaves are at one wall. Then a little water is poured into the calabash so that it is all absorbed into the tea leaves. After the infusion has swollen, the top opening of the bombilla is plugged and lowered to the bottom of the calabash - in the thick of the infusion. Then hot water is carefully added to the calabash (but not boiling water - otherwise the mate will lose its taste and become bitter). After two minutes, when the tea leaves are swollen and fill the vessel to the top, you can drink the mate. But in the cafe you are specially warned how to drink mate: slowly, in small sips, sipping thick from the bottom. In this case, the calabash is held in the left hand, the thumb holds the vessel from below, and the middle and index fingers - at the edge. It is recommended not to stir the brew with bombilla. In addition, it turns out that drinking to the end is a sign of bad taste.

Light green mate infusion with a bright herbaceous aroma is similar to regular green tea, but it has a peculiar flavor. Lovers of good varieties of Ceylon, Indian, Abkhazian and Krasnodar teas may think that mate is devoid of any taste, but this is not so: mate does not open immediately - only then you feel the tart bitterness of the drink. In terms of its composition, mate can be considered the brother of tea (there are almost half of the useful elements of the periodic table and a whole set of vitamins). Due to the rather high content of xanthine in the drink, the effect on humans is almost the same as caffeine, and this tea has a peculiar effect on humans. Proponents of this drink are convinced that mate is much better than coffee, because then they feel more alert and more active without any unpleasant consequences, such as an increase in heart rate. Mate lowers blood pressure and dilates blood vessels, as well as improves mood and reduces nervousness and anxiety. They assure that it strengthens strength, expels ailments, relieves depression and prolongs life. But the opinion of medical professionals: drinking mate improves the functioning of the heart and stomach, dilates blood vessels, strengthens memory and the nervous system.

For the sake of interest, I later learned several recipes for a drink with this "weed". You can put a spoonful of honey on the bottom of the calabash, add tea leaves there, then cook and drink like a classic mate. With a sweetened (granulated sugar) mat, dry tea leaves are poured into the calabash, pour a small volume of water so that the tea leaves swell. Having closed the upper opening of the bombilla, they carefully immerse it in the thick of the infusion, and then add sweetened hot water to the vessel. Cold mate is prepared in the same way as usual (only it is poured not with hot, but cold water (infused for 1 hour). Ice, orange or lemon juice, mint leaves can be added to the cold mate.

To give mate a sweet taste and pleasant aroma, the Guarani Indians add to it the "honey" leaves of a stevia bush. It is found in the subtropical regions of Brazil and Paraguay; stevia has already been discussed in the magazine more than once. By the way, some flower growers already grow this plant on windowsills, as it is useful for diabetics. In the cafe in the capital where I tried mate, they did not offer me stevia. When I asked the waitress about her, she could not understand what I wanted, although the cafe was decorated very extravagantly - something in between Latin American and Chinese styles. A little later, when I found myself in one of the large cities of the Pskov region, I asked the saleswoman of one of the best grocery stores for a mat. Alas, she could not understand what I wanted, she didn’t even hear the name of the drink.

Holly leaves
Holly leaves

In conclusion, let us mention a slightly sad legend about the Paraguayan holly - mate, which appeared in those distant times when it was customary for the Indians to have legends for all moments of life. Once, while traveling, after a hard exhausting day, God came across a modest dwelling in which an old man lived with a beautiful daughter named O Sa-a, which meant from the Indian "mate". Without even guessing who was in front of them, the owners fed the tired traveler, giving him the last supplies of food, including the only chicken. God wondered why the old man lived in such a wilderness. And the old man answered: “I don’t want people to see the beauty of my daughter and desecrate her, but she belongs to the gods.” Agreeing that the beauty of the girl is truly extraordinary and divine, God remarked: “But people need to know about her, so I will turn her into a tree that will serve and help people,how you did it for me, and let the whole world know about her! " He turned the beauty into a tree - a Paraguayan holly, giving a drink to mate, but he deprived his father of his only daughter and her help in his close old age. The Indians sincerely believed this legend and the fact that the gods gave them mate so that people could live happily on earth, not knowing fatigue, and be healthy and strong. Indeed, in fact, during large campaigns, mate supported their strength and allowed the Indians to go without food for a long time, as if confirming their divine origin. The Indians used mate during rituals and ceremonies, and, drinking mate from a common calabash, passed it to each other, like a pipe of peace.but on the other hand he deprived his father of his only daughter and her help in his near old age. The Indians sincerely believed this legend and that the gods gave them mate so that people could live happily on earth, not knowing fatigue, and be healthy and strong. Indeed, in fact, during large campaigns, mate supported their strength and allowed the Indians to go without food for a long time, as if confirming their divine origin. The Indians used mate during rituals and ceremonies, and, drinking mate from a common calabash, passed it to each other, like a pipe of peace.but on the other hand he deprived his father of his only daughter and her help in his near old age. The Indians sincerely believed this legend and the fact that the gods gave them mate so that people could live happily on earth, not knowing fatigue, and be healthy and strong. Indeed, in fact, during large campaigns, mate supported their strength and allowed the Indians to go without food for a long time, as if confirming their divine origin. The Indians used mate during rituals and ceremonies, and, drinking mate from a common calabash, passed it to each other, like a pipe of peace. Indeed, in fact, during large campaigns, mate supported their strength and allowed the Indians to go without food for a long time, as if confirming their divine origin. The Indians used mate during rituals and ceremonies, and, drinking mate from a common calabash, passed it to each other, like a pipe of peace. Indeed, in fact, during large campaigns, mate supported their strength and allowed the Indians to go without food for a long time, as if confirming their divine origin. The Indians used mate during rituals and ceremonies, and, drinking mate from a common calabash, passed it to each other, like a pipe of peace.

Judging by the chronicles of the colonization of Latin America, the Spaniards almost immediately began to use mate, especially due to the fact that this drink helped them avoid scurvy, a terrible disease of travelers of that time, since they did not have the opportunity to consume fresh fruits and vegetables during their long return home across the ocean. … Later, in the 17th century, the flow of Europeans to the American continent significantly increased, and many preachers also penetrated. The Vatican acquired huge land holdings in these territories, and the Jesuit order in 1611 began to form an independent Jesuit empire that existed for 160 years. Very quickly appreciating the beneficial properties of mate, the Jesuits began to supply it to Europe, where the drink began to be called "Jesuit infusion", while it was more expensive than tea and coffee. During the revolutions and wars in South America in the 19th century, mate was forgotten in Europe for many decades, and later it was perceived as exotic.

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