It all started with John Guerra’s brother, Paul, one of Florida’s quintessential “surfer dudes.” As a surfer, Paul’s need for energy was supported by a constant diet of the popular Red Bull energy drink. Then he was introduced to yerba mate. The celebrated South American infusion found a new believer in Paul and he switched to yerba mate with gusto.
 
John was intrigued by his older brother’s excitement and decided to try yerba mate for himself. Now there were two young men who couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. They told all of their friends and family and it didn’t take long for the two brothers and their father, Steve, to start developing a business plan. John says his father serves as the “suit” in their cottage enterprise, keeping the business fiscally responsible.

They located a family farm in Argentina that could produce a high quality yerba mate for them to “private label” with their new brand name — Yerba Yerba. The loose tea product was packaged in “leaf only” (sin palo) and “whole plant” (con palo). For their modest product launch, they did all of their own packaging and shipping from a small industrial office/warehouse just outside of Orlando. Yerba Yerba was off and running.

The ever-practical Steve kept warning them the U.S. market was never going to buy in to the traditional South American custom of sipping yerba mate from a gourd through a bombilla. These discussions evolved into a core Yerba Yerba mission of making yerba mate more user friendly.

They reasoned the messy clean up of yerba mate could be eliminated if they took the popular tea bag concept a step further. The answer was an oversized Yerba Yerba tea bag. Most yerba mate tea bags hold 1.5 to 3 grams of yerba. Yerba Yerba offers jumbo 6 and 12 gram bags.

The giant sized tea bags can be used in several ways. Put one in a coffee cup and fill and refill the cup with hot water until the yerba mate becomes lavado (or “washed out”).  This repetitive refilling procedure is similar to the way South Americans sip for hours from their gourd — but without the lengthy preparation ritual and the messy clean up afterwards.

You can also put a bag in a pitcher or a large sport drink bottle and fill it with cold water to make terere, a cold yerba mate similar to iced tea. The container can be topped off or refilled for multiple uses from the same bag. John says his customers are coming up with new uses for the jumbo sized bags all the time.

One creative use of the giant tea bags is to make mate cocido, or brewed mate, in an automatic drip coffee maker. It’s pre-measured in a way that simplifies the brewing process and there is no messy cleanup. Here is how I suggest you do it:

1. Pour the desired amount of cool water into the reservoir of the coffee maker.

2. Place the tea bag in the bottom of the carafe and soak with cool water.

3. IMPORTANT: Let the tea bag steep for three minutes or more in the cool water.

 
 
4. Place the soaking wet tea bag in the brewing basket.
 
5. Turn on the coffee maker, brew and enjoy.

 
 
The 6 gram bag is perfect for about 4 cups of mate cocido.  This should yield about three 11 ounce mugs of yerba mate. The 12 gram bag is just about right for an 8 to 10 cup coffee maker. You could adjust the strength in two ways: Steep the bags in the cool water less time to make it weaker — more time to make it stronger, or use more than one bag to make it a lot stronger. 

John talks passionately about his business and yerba mate. “When people say: ‘tell me about mate,’ I could go on and on and on…” he says. But, he is trying to be more passive these days, saying “I try to hold back on it, because it sounds like an infomercial.”  John also says he receives more satisfaction from his new approach: “Give them the cup. Let the people drink it. Then, they will tell you why it’s great.”

 
Armed with new innovative brewing methods and the spirit of Johnny Appleseed, Guerra claims a retail operation had to follow. This was the birth of their new Yerba Yerba Cafe and Workshop. The distinctive black and yellow “mate bar” makes a miniscule footprint measuring only about 12 feet by 20 feet — including the kitchen and restroom. A note to sippers: It may be small, but it does have Wi-Fi.
 
The little mate bar sells tea bags and loose yerba. You can also buy a freshly brewed cup of yerba mate, either hot or cold, for only one dollar. The limited menu offers variations as unique as the rest of the Yerba Yerba concept. It was the first time I ever tried Tabasco flavored yerba mate for example — and I liked it too. John now has a regular clientele and boasts of converting plenty of former coffee and Red Bull drinkers to the much healthier alternative.
 
The fledgling brand is now on a quest to put Yerba Yerba into as many local establishments as possible. I had lunch at one such local eatery — The Dandelion Cafe. The waitress took great pride in telling me the yerba mate they served was a “high quality, locally branded, organic product.”

 
Can you believe John has accomplished all of this in just a year and a half? I don’t know what’s next for Yerba Yerba, but I have great confidence in the outcome.

Salud!

It was only a matter of time before some enterprising “health nut” would try adding yerba mate to a smoothie. One good nutritious drink mixed with another good nutritious drink doesn’t necessarily equal a great healthy drink – but in the case of the yerba mate smoothie – it works! Yerba mate smoothies combine plenty of energy with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients in a delightful beverage with endless variations of ingredients, textures and, of course – taste. Suddenly, yerba mate smoothies seem to be everywhere.
 
Several years ago, when juice bars first came to my neighborhood, I was amazed at how many different variations there were on this “juice drink” theme. There were about six of them on the main street near my home. Some succeeded and some failed. It was simply an early indicator that people were looking for a healthy alternative to a coffee break. They are not just for “breaks” however.
 
My wife suggested I consider a smoothie as a healthy meal and not just a beverage. I resisted because I didn’t think they would be filling enough to satisfy me for a whole meal, but I finally tried one and she was right. They are delicious and satisfying enough to fill me up.
 
My friend Bela Mogyorody, owner of the Viento y Agua Coffee House, has been experimenting with yerba mate smoothies for quite some time. He substitutes a strong pre-brewed Nativa Yerba Mate for part of the ice he would normally add to his recipe. The result is a refreshing yerba mate smoothie.
 

On a recent visit to Viento y Agua, Bela shared his latest creation with me — the Mango Mate Smoothie. It was delicious, with just a hint of yerba mate taste to the Mango fruit drink. Bela says he will promote yerba mate smoothies in a big way during the hot summer months ahead when customers are looking for something cold.
 
A few years ago, Robeks Juice Bars, a nationally franchised chain with more than 160 locations in 17 states, began offering Yerba Mate Chai Smoothies during the winter months — from October to December. Matt Chagnon at the Robeks near my home told me they make it with the Pixie Mate Chai Mate Concentrate, soy milk, non-fat vanilla yogurt, banana and ice. I tried one and found the taste different from most other smoothies — not fruity, but very rich and creamy.  The taste was just too good to be considered a healthy drink. The Pixie Mate website has a few more yerba mate smoothie recipes that you can try too.
 

Here is Noelle Palm with the container of Pixie Mate Chai Mate Concentrate. Since, this nutritious drink is only “seasonal” at the present time, it’s not listed in their nutritional values brochure. I had to call Robeks’ Corporate Office to get a breakdown.
 
Amy Bergman, a Robeks Product Analyst, gave me the following nutritional information for the Robeks 24 oz. Chai Mate Smoothie.

• Calories  –  582
• Fat (g)  –  5
• Cholesterol (%DV)  –  1
• Carbohydrates (g)  –  121
• Sugar (g)  –  104
• Protein (g)  –  15
• Sodium (%DV)  –  14
• Fiber (g)  –  5

When I asked Amy if Robeks would be adding the Chai Mate Smoothie to their regular menu, she told me she “didn’t make those decisions.” She thought it was possible though, because the drink has been very popular.
 
The newest offering — and on a grand scale too — is from Smoothie King, a national franchise system with more than 550 locations in 32 states. I have been a Smoothie King customer for years, so when they announced the Berry Stimulating Mate Smoothie was coming, I thought I had “died and gone to heaven.” Here is Rachel Cruz posing by a promotional banner.

 
The Smoothie King announcement was a well-thought-out program in partnership with Guayaki Yerba Mate. The Smoothie King recipe uses Guayaki Chai Mate Concentrate, mixed with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, non-fat milk and turbinado for a fruit drink with some real “kick” to it. In addition to posters and signs all over the store, the Guayaki brochure at the counter attempts to direct more attention to the benefits of yerba mate. But, even if customers aren’t interested, the Berry Stimulating Mate Smoothie is attracting fans of its own.
 
Here is the nutritional breakdown of a Smoothie King 20 oz. Berry Stimulating Mate Smoothie from the Smoothie King website. Unfortunately, for comparison purposes anyway, some of the calibrations and the serving size do not match the Robeks 24 oz. above.

• Calories  –  348
• Calories from fat  –  2
• Fat (g)  – 
• Saturated fat (g)  – 
• Cholesterol (mg)  – 
• Carbohydrates (g)  –  84
• Sugar (g)  –  81
• Protein (g)  –  2
• Sodium (mg)  –  22
• Fiber (g)  –  3

Both franchise systems make smoothies with a chai smoothie concentrate. The chai spices add a distinctive spicy flavor that seems to work with either fruit or milk based smoothies. A word of caution: please remember all yerba mate smoothies contain caffeine. This may affect the hour or amount you consume.

 
Last, but not least, I have been making smoothies at home for years. I decided to attempt my own version of a yerba mate smoothie. I made some yerba mate concentrate and added it to one of my own favorite smoothie recipes. It worked just fine. So, if you don’t live near an enlightened smoothie bar, you can buy (or make) some yerba mate concentrate and blend your own. You would be wise to start practicing now; summer will be here before you know it.
 
Salud!

A few weeks ago I saw an early screening of the newest movie about an Ernesto Che Guevara starring Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro. In the movie Bernicio was smoking either the stereotypical Cuban cigar or a pipe in almost every scene. Meanwhile, yerba mate was only granted token acknowledgement just two scenes out of a total running time of 257 minutes. That’s a butt-numbing 4 hours and 18 minutes and there was a half hour intermission to boot!

For the record: I love motorcycles and I’m a shameless movie buff  in addition to my passion for yerba mate. I was already a yerba mate devotee when I saw the 2004 Che movie The Motorcycle Diaries. The movie about a young Ernesto Guevara exploring South America on a motorcycle with his friend, Alberto Granado, garnered much critical acclaim and even won an Oscar for its music.

The foremost attraction of Motorcycle Diaries to me however was the motorcycle – not Che. He was nothing more than a T-Shirt Icon from the late 1900′s. As a Life Member of the Harley Owners Group, I was curious about the two bikers’ adventures. I wanted to vicariously travel the Andes, the Gran Chaco, the pampas and jungles of South America on a motorcycle! That was the extent of my interest. Imagine my surprise to see Che sipping yerba mate on the big screen. I was suddenly curious about Che too.

To satisfy my curiosity, I read the two books the movie was based on: The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey, by Che Guevara and Traveling With Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary by Alberto Granado. Each man wrote his own story, offering two different perspectives on the same trip. Both accounts had plenty to say about yerba mate and nothing I can recall about cigars or pipes!

Next, I got Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, by Jon Lee Anderson; although I have to admit I didn’t finish that one. The 800-plus page book is considered the most comprehensive and accurate biography of Guevara to date because Anderson had been given unprecedented access to family members, documents and photos. That was where I learned the real connection between Che and yerba mate.

Che Guevara was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1928. At that time, his parents owned a yerba mate plantation in the Misiones Province of Northeastern Argentina. Che’s father was speculating in the yerba mate craze that had swept Argentina at the turn of the twentieth century. Many of the plantations that started during that time still exist, but the Guevara family plantation never succeeded commercially.

Throughout his travels, whenever Che wrote home to Argentina, he would ask family members to send him some more yerba mate. Obviously, yerba mate plays an important role in the Che story. Downplaying or ignoring a yerba mate-Che connection would be the same as painting a portrait of a clean-shaven man that has never been seen without his mustache.

The current plan is to release the new Che film as two separate feature length movies in January and February 2009. Part 1 is titled: The Argentine and is about the Cuban Revolution. Part 2 is titled: The Guerrilla; it’s about guerrilla warfare in Bolivia. The films are considered historically accurate because they are based on Che Guevara’s own first person diaries.

Both films are bilingual with Spanish as the predominant language. The subtitles came too fast for me to follow in some of the scenes; nevertheless, this film is already being recognized as an excellent portrayal of the historical events. The combined version (that I saw) won a Best Actor award for Del Toro at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 – a certain boost to the career of the 41 year-old co-producer/star.

Click on this link to IMDb.com to view a scene where yerba mate is a significant prop. Look for the thermos and mate gourd on the table.

Following the special screening of the new movie, Bernicio Del Toro came to the stage for a special Question & Answer session. He was serious and forthright as members of the audience asked him questions about the movie, its historical significance and his thoughts on the portrayal of the legendary Che. He talked about the long (seven-year) process of developing and making the movie and how intently he had studied Che’s writings and pictures.

Del Toro was born in Puerto Rico and yerba mate is not a custom there, so I assumed that if he hadn’t tried it before making the movie, he certainly tried it as a part of learning about the title character. When my turn came to get Bernicio’s autograph, I asked him if he learned to drink yerba mate as a part of making the movie.

“Yah man, I did” he said as he broke into his first big smile of the evening. We talked about yerba mate for a few minutes until I finally made room for the long line of fans behind me. His comments about yerba mate were adequate, but they did not give me the “fuzzy feeling” that Benicio was now a true yerba mate aficionado. Maybe Che’s pipes and signature stogies have more sex appeal than bombillas?

Here is a picture of the program he autographed for me. To each his own; but I’ll take the good nutrition of yerba mate over tobacco anytime.

Salud!

Leslie Taylor, ND has earned many titles, but none seems to give her more delight than her moniker “White Witch of the Amazon.” The dynamic Texan tells a fascinating story of fighting off death with the help of a secret weapon – herbs from the South American rainforest. I found Leslie’s story so compelling that I doggedly pursued her for an interview for more than a year and a half. This post is about more than yerba mate; it’s about the benefits of all rainforest herbs.

Early in my study of yerba mate, I found the Tropical Plant Database.It is truly one of the best Internet references I ever found and I have always provided a direct link to the data about yerba mate. Talking with the owner/author of the site was a “must do” quest for me.

My September 2008 interview had been scheduled months ahead of time and I arrived at Raintree Nutrition, Inc. headquarters in Carson City, Nevada a few minutes before my 2:00 pm appointment. Following a cordial greeting, I sat down in Leslie Taylor’s office and was promptly given the third degree!

She wanted to know if I worked for any company that sold yerba mate or herbal products. Of course my answer was “No.” Then she asked if I had been hired by any such company to write about yerba mate. Same answer. She explained that she did not want to be a part of any “pseudo-research” that would bias an innocent consumer. I would say “amen” to that. Finally, I guess I passed her test, so we both relaxed and had a great conversation.

Taylor had been an active Texas businesswoman before she was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia in her early twenties. She called it a “gut cancer” and said: “It’s 100% fatal, 100% of the time.”  This was not the prognosis anyone I know would want to hear.

Leslie dutifully went to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Clinic in Houston for treatment and as she describes it: “I became their lab rat on all of this experimental stuff.” After 18 months of their treatments, the result was that she was dying from the treatments.

She had developed holes in her liver; her endocrine system was failing; and she was experiencing liver toxicity and renal failure. A side effect of one of the drugs meant to stimulate her pituitary gland even caused her to grow an inch and a half!

Then the doctors gave up on her and sent her home to die at age 24.

With nothing to lose, Leslie tenaciously began investigating “alternative” medicine. She immersed herself in a study of herbal medicines, diet, nutrition and other natural healing treatments. After another 18 months of her self-prescribed treatment she was diagnosed as “cancer free.” I asked if she thought she was cured or if the cancer was just in remission. She said: “I was over and done with that by the time I was 26. I just turned 50 this year, so (after) 25 years, I don’t think you can call that remission.”

You’re probably wondering: “Does Leslie Taylor drink yerba mate?”  Yes, she does drink yerba mate on occasion; but no, the herbal formula that ultimately healed her did not include yerba mate.

Once cured, Taylor pursued her interest in herbal medicines, eventually traveling to the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil. Her interest turned into a calling and she began working with indigenous curanderos (“healers”) and shamans.

Shamans are the spiritual mediums and healers of various rainforest tribes. Taylor says in the U.S. they would be called herbalists. She worked closely with these tribal shamans to learn more about the healing powers of the rainforest herbs.

These tribal societies are strictly patriarchal and only men are recognized as shamans. Women can only rise to the rank of “witch” – a class lower than a shaman.  Through her work Taylor became known as the Bruja Blanca, or “White Witch” of the Amazon.

I asked if there were any herbs that she took daily. She smiled and said: “Everyone asks me that! I believe that herbal medicine is medicine. And, I believe you need it when you are sick.”

She went on to explain that we all need certain vitamins and other nutrients for general health and well being and even referred to the old adage “You are what you eat.” Her philosophy is that if you’re not eating well, you take vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to make up for the deficiency. Taylor noted that when she is traveling a lot and cannot maintain a proper diet, she will take a multi-vitamin; and if she is planning to be in the sun for any length of time, she will take a capsule that contains a natural sunscreen. “Everyone is looking for a magic bullet,” she says “that justifies a bad lifestyle habit.”

Her company sells herbs in a capsule form and also as extracts. I was interested to learn about making yerba mate as an extract. She quickly pointed out that Raintree Nutrition does not sell a yerba mate capsule or extract. They only sell it in a bulk form. It is a green, unroasted, wild-harvested Brazilian yerba mate that is finely milled into a leaf powder. It could be used to make capsules or extracts however.

When I pursued the idea of a yerba mate extract, I was treated to a university-level lecture on the process of making an herbal extract. She said it can be done of course, but she was somewhat skeptical that the extract would retain the same nutritional profile of yerba mate which is very complex.

Taylor expressed concern that tests to determine the potency and efficacy of a good yerba mate extract could overly emphasize the caffeine content. The danger being, out of all the nutrients in yerba mate, if the caffeine content was the only measurement standard, a producer could be tempted to just add caffeine to meet the standard. She said nobody really understands the unique effect and relationship of all the nutrients present in yerba mate. 

By this time, I wondered if perhaps she was “anti-yerba mate” and she assured me that she wasn’t because some of the proprietary Raintree product formulas contain yerba mate. She mentioned one of the products used for allergies as an example.

I learned a lot more about herbal medicines than I can share in this space; but you can learn more about the life and work of Leslie Taylor from her websites at: http://www.rain-tree.com and http://www.leslietaylor.net, or from her book: The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs –  A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals. I encourage you to do so.

Meanwhile, I think I need a mate!

Salud!

Imagine this: You’re sitting in a garden patio in the Sunnyslope suburb of Greater Phoenix. You can hear birds chirping in trees that provide a welcomed shade in Arizona’s notorious Valley of the Sun. You smile to yourself. This is not the region’s traditional cactus garden; it’s an unexpected oasis. You sip your yerba mate from a leather covered gourd and occasionally pour a little more hot water from your thermos so you can sip – and smile – some more. You’re at peace. Life is good.

I really had that experience. I was in Phoenix, surfing the net looking for a good place to have lunch, when “quite by accident” I found a place on the visitphoenix.com website described as a “boutique South-American themed cafe.”

“Try yerba mate,” the web listing went on to say “the national drink of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.” That did it. I was on my way.

Bomberos, which means firemen in Spanish, is the perfect name chosen by Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono for their offbeat establishment. It occupies a former fire station in the Sunnyslope neighborhood a few miles outside of Phoenix proper.

From the outside, Bomberos Cafe and Wine Bar doesn’t offer any clues about the surprises inside. Oscar’s signature “fire-engine red” motor scooter parked out front being the single exception.

We chose a table in the outdoor patio behind the cafe. As we were being seated, my wife Patti ordered a cup of brewed mate and I ordered the traditional service. The waitress eyed me with a little suspicion, probably wondering if I knew what traditional service really meant. But she was polite and didn’t make any patronizing remarks.

A few minutes later Oscar Mastrantuono, the owner himself, delivered a mate gourd, bombilla and thermos to our table. On this particular day he was serving Canarias brand yerba mate, a favorite in Uruguay. He was probably as interested in seeing who was ordering his prized offering as I was in seeing who prepared it. We immediately struck up a conversation about mate and Oscar’s background.

Oscar is serious about introducing the culture and traditions of South America to the United States. He likes bringing out the mate paraphernalia because of the attention it attracts. “It piques people’s curiosity” he says. They ask: “What’s that weird kinda thing?” Then, he tells them “all about the traditions, the antioxidants, the social gathering, sharing the same straw and taking time to relax and enjoy it.”

“Here in the States,” he says, “when you drink coffee, you drink it in ten minutes and you’re done, tops fifteen minutes. This (mate) is two hours, maybe an hour and a half. It’s like a fine bottle of wine, but the great thing (about mate) is you can drink it all day long.”

Oscar was born in Uruguay and moved to New York when he was a little kid of about five years old. Then he moved back to Uruguay when he was ten and back again to the States years later. In Uruguay, he lived in Montevideo, the capital, and nearby Carrasco.

As a youngster, Oscar worked in his father’s grocery store, but his career path eventually took a different direction: through the hospitality industry. He learned to be a “professional” at hotel guest services from the ground up: first, as a valet who parked cars; then a bellman; then guest services manager; and finally sales manager. He wanted to learn it all, even though they didn’t take him seriously when he applied for a housekeeping position.

The “concept” of Bomberos is far more impressive than a first glance lets on. They open at 7:00 am for morning coffee – or yerba mate for the enlightened – and a breakfast of omelets, breakfast wraps, yogurt, granola and pastries. Then at midday they serve a light lunch with a variety of salads, panini sandwiches, bruschetta, cheeses, olives, meats and a variety of desserts.

The featured South American wines and Latin American beers complement the fare all day, but especially after work and into the night. During the week they close at midnight and at 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday.

Add to this: WiFi, a big screen TV tuned to South American soccer games in the cafe dining room and weekend entertainment that features live musical talent from South America. All of the cultural amenities contributed to a successful first year of operation. If you missed the point here, Bomberos has something to attract people every hour of the day!

“The reason why I did this,” Oscar says, “is because, obviously, I am proud of being from South America and a Uruguayan. When people visit from Argentina or Brazil or Uruguay or Venezuela or anywhere in South America, they feel like they’re at home. It brings them all together.” I noticed that patrons from the U.S. like Bomberos too.

Oscar’s parents now own a grocery store in New York; his brother and sister own their own businesses and he has longed to own his own business too. Bomberos satisfies this longing. “I had to try it” he said.

I asked how he felt about the time and financial commitment he made to open his dream business – not to mention the risks and challenges involved. He chuckled because apparently this is a common question. His quick answer is: “My wife has a real job.”

Salud!

Dell’Aquila was born in the U.S., but when he was about nine years old his family moved to Buenos Aires. He completed his schooling in South America and officially became a Porteño. Then in 1999 the Porteño with a U.S. Passport returned to the United States.

Ian pronounces his name Yohn – like John would sound if it started with a “Y” instead of a “J” – the way it’s pronounced in his ancestral homeland of Rosario, Argentina where his father was born. The thriving port city of Rosario lies about 185 miles up river from Buenos Aires. It is actually situated on the Paraná River, a tributary to the Rio de la Plata Delta.

I first met Ian at a Southern California car show. He was helping two friends from South America operate a booth that sold Argentinian Empanadas. As I placed my order, I noticed a mate gourd and bombilla on the counter and this led to a few quick yerba mate anecdotes. But, when I observed that other customers were getting annoyed with our exuberance, I left my card and moved on. A week or so later, Ian sent me an e-mail that led to a visit and an interview.

Ian shares an apartment with his girlfriend Carolina and her sister Leticia. Like Ian’s family, Carolina and her family are also from Rosario, Argentina. Their apartment is in Venice Beach, a suburb of Los Angeles that is home to many South American immigrants. Ian laments: “A lot of Argentines get nostalgic when they immigrate.” Perhaps this is why their whole neighborhood is glued together by Latin American-themed markets, bakeries, restaurants and night clubs.

As we shared stories, Ian told me of his early experiences with yerba mate. His grandmother prepared it by heating a few spoonfuls of yerba in a pot of water and then straining it into a cup – sometimes adding milk or sugar. When he was older, he would sip mate from a gourd with his friends. Its gentle caffeine stimulus and the subtle sense of well-being he felt made him an enthusiastic user. He doesn’t care for the idea of tea bags however.

Ian proudly showed me his collection of mate gourds and cups, which included calabash, wood, ceramic and metal. One of his favorites is a small metal cup that he called a “mechanic’s mate.” So called because the metal does not absorb grease from the mechanic’s hands the way a traditional calabash gourd does. Eventually the grease will permeate the gourd and contaminate the yerba.

We both admired the intricate designs on this very special mate. It represents poems about the legendary Argentine gaucho, Martin Fierro.

Next, he showed me his prized “mate dispenser” hanging on the wall in his kitchen. The wooden canister has a glass window in front so you can view the level of yerba inside. We both laughed when he told me about filling one side with yerba sin palo and the other side with yerba con palo. Look closely and see if you can spot the separation down the middle. This is still funny to me!

You might find similar dispensers for sale on the Internet, but they won’t have the artistic fileteado painting on them. This unique style of painting is the South American equivalent to “pinstriping” that was popular on hotrods in the U.S. in the 1950′s and 60′s. In Argentina this decorative art is painted on buses, taxis, signs and on one’s most prized possessions. Ian had his yerba mate dispenser painted while attending the annual Buenos Aires Tango Convention a few years ago.

We had enjoyed a pleasant conversation for almost an hour and then Ian invited me to share a mate. Of course I agreed.

His favorite brand is Nobleza Gaucha from Argentina and he drinks it amargo which means “bitter” or unsweetened. For this occasion, he chose a wooden mate and a Uruguayan spoon-type bombilla. He heated the water in a traditional Argentine kettle using filtered water and insisted the filtered water makes a difference in the taste. He listened to the sound of the water “hissing” in his kettle and knew when it was ready just by the sound. We sipped and chatted for an hour or so – one of the secrets to a good mate experience is taking the time to enjoy it.

Ian says: “I have mate at least four times a day.” Typically, this is first thing in the morning; again in mid-morning; after lunch; and finally, about 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. The last one he usually shares with Carolina as they recount the day’s events. He confesses: “I get grumpy when I don’t have my mate.”

You know what? So do I.

Salud!

On Sunday, October 5, 2008, I will be conducting a seminar on yerba mate in downtown Long Beach, California. Don’t miss this chance to learn more about yerba mate.

The class is part of the 2nd annual University by the Sea. Over 60 class, seminar, workshop and event offerings are listed in the course catalog. Classes start at only $5.00!

Classes will be taught all over the downtown area. My class titled “Yerba Mate — a Tea Tale” starts at 1:00 p.m. in the Solarium of the historic Lafayette Building at 140 Linden Ave. in Long Beach.

You will learn about the history, culture and health benefits of yerba mate through a brief lecture, PowerPoint presentation and a demonstration. My mate gourd and bombilla collection will be on display and for the “newbies” there will even be a tasting following the presentation.

 For more information and to sign up, follow this link to: www.universitybythesea.com.

You will not get a degree. We are not selling anything. This is just for fun!

Salud!

Materva (a contraction of mate and erva) just could be the original yerba mate soft drink. The origin of Materva reportedly dates back to the 1920′s. This unique, carbonated beverage was marketed by LaPaz, S.A., a bottling company in Cuba, but following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, LaPaz was nationalized as part of the Communist movement. The popular yerba mate drink could have disappeared forever, but thanks to another Cuban company, it became available in the United States.

 

There has been a lot of attention focused on Cuba lately because of Fidel Castro’s resignation. I happened to be attending a conference in Florida the same day he resigned. That evening, my wife and I went to Miami’s Little Havana District for dinner. The Versailles Restaurant was the hub of excitement as Cubans celebrated in the street and the parking lot outside. There were bright lights, flags, placards, reporters, TV cameras, news vans and dignitaries everywhere as cars paraded by, honking and waving. Truly a happening!

When we had enough celebration, we finally went inside the restaurant and ordered dinner and a Materva. Looking around the busy dining room, I noticed Materva on several other tables too. This was no big surprise because I have ordered the yerba mate soda in Cuban restaurants all over the country. They always have it.

Materva has almost a “cult” following among Cubans. It is one of those sacred memories of the good times enjoyed on the island nation prior to its capture by Castro. Today, Materva is produced in Miami by Cawy Bottling Co., Inc. Knowing that I would be in the area, I scheduled an interview with Vicente E. Cossio, the Executive Vice President/General Manager of Cawy.

Cawy Bottling Company, founded in 1948, was a thriving business with four bottling plants in Cuba prior to the Revolution, but when Castro took control in 1959 and started nationalizing private enterprise, many Cubans fled to the U.S. Two of the displaced Cawy owners, Vincent Cossio (Vicente’s father) and Nestor Machado, reunited in Miami and decided to resurrect the Cawy name.

With financial backing from two Cuban investors, Celestino Villalba and Frank Garcia, the company was recreated on U.S. soil in 1964. Nestor Machado died shortly after operations began and the company purchased his share from his estate. Cawy Bottling Company is thriving today and remains closely held by the Cossio, Garcia and Villalba families.

In mid-1994, Vincent Cossio became very ill, so in late 1995 his son, Vicente, a civil engineer by training, stepped in to run the business. Vicente speaks of his father’s accomplishments with great pride and respect, but it is obvious that he has had a positive impact on the company too.

Cawy’s beginnings in the United States revolved around Lemon-Lime soda, one of the best selling soft drinks in Cuba. Marketing proved to be more challenging than they anticipated however, with competition from long-established U.S. companies. The Cawy soda may have been a big seller in Cuba, but in the U.S. its acceptance was marginal apart from loyal Cuban exiles.

The company looked for another beverage to add to its product line and they decided on Materva, an unrelated competitor in Cuba. The elder Cossio contacted the owners of LaPaz to arrange a takeover of the Materva brand. Vicente describes it this way: “At that time, the thought was — hey, next year we’re going to be back in Cuba. This is only a transitional thing. Well, history has shown that we’re almost fifty years into this now and we’re not going to celebrate next Christmas in Cuba!”

Materva was an iconic brand in Cuba. They sponsored many sporting events and even boasted one of the very first arrangements to use Disney characters to promote their product as seen on this glass pitcher.

Vicente Cossio, was nine years old when he came to the U.S. with his family. He recalls early memories of his father’s attempts to recreate the famed Materva for Cuban Americans. In the early days, they could not buy a yerba mate extract; they had to figure out how to make it at their plant. It took several months of trial and error, and lacking an exact formula, the final test was passed when there was a consensus among many Cuban friends and employees that the flavor was truly “Materva.” Today, the yerba mate extract is available from outside sources.

In Cuba, Materva was produced in 7 ounce bottles. Vicente showed me some of his prized collection of early Materva bottles from Cuba — with labels in Spanish of course. The one pictured (to the left) is from 1947. Later, in the U.S. they added 10 ounce bottles. Today, most Cawy beverages are sold in familiar 12 ounce cans or 2 liter PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Future product expansion will include the introduction of 20 ounce PET bottles.

The Materva logo has experienced a few minor changes over the years; a yerba mate branch, a mate and a bombilla are now emblazoned in the center. As we talked, I spotted a beautiful handcarved gourd on a shelf and asked Vicente if Cubans drank yerba mate the way South Americans do — from a mate, with a bombilla. He answered with an emphatic “No! That’s the amazing thing. In Cuba, they didn’t drink mate!” But, they sure did drink Materva and adding it to the Cawy line was a great first step in product diversification.

Over the succeeding years, Cawy strategically acquired or developed many other popular beverages with Cuban origins, such as: Jupina, Watermelon, Coco Solo, Quinabeer, Malta Cawy, Fruti Cola, Rica and even Diet Materva. The company is now expanding into non-Cuban markets too and Vicente discussed plans to add new production facilities. He even showed me new Miami TV commercials directed to larger markets.

Materva is a tradition for Cubans – not so much for the health benefits of yerba mate (even though the benefits are emphasized) – but for the taste. It’s different; it’s refreshing; it’s good! A few years ago, the “Miami New Times” proclaimed Materva as the Best Local Soft Drink in Miami. Try it — no matter where you live.

Salud!

Just a few blocks from the center of this little town is the brand new Guayaki Yerba Mate Bar. At last, a yerba mate bar that unabashedly sells yerba mate any way you want it. There is no hiding behind a long list of coffees and teas; this is the real deal. The place sells healthy organic food, snacks and yerba mate — just like mate bars in South America.

This was a special stop for me, because I had pre-arranged a meeting with the folks at Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. Guayaki is the dominant U.S. brand of yerba mate. Guayaki Co-Founder, Alex Pryor, was in the U.S. on one of his infrequent visits, which made this meeting even more special. I last visited with Alex at his home in Argentina two years ago.

 

Alex Pryor and Richard Bruehl

We talked for a few minutes and then Richard Bruehl, Vice-President of Operations, went for a mate gourd. In the traditional mate circle, we all shared a mate prepared by Alex, the Chief Cebador for Guayaki, and opined about world ecology. Everybody at Guayaki is passionate about saving the planet from pollution, waste and the rampant destruction of natural resources. To them yerba mate is a tool for bringing peoples from many cultures together to create a larger self-sustaining world community.

Later in the morning Richard led us on a tour of the Sebastopol facility, pointing out differences from their previous headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California. I was so wrapped up in the tour I almost forgot the main reason I came was to experience the new mate bar.

The mate bar is located on Highway 12 as you approach the center of Sebastopol from Santa Rosa. It has excellent street exposure and parking next to the building on either side. A tropical rainforest-themed mural adorns the entrance facade and initiates patrons to the jungle theme inside.

 

The interior is tastefully decorated with photos and artifacts from South America that produce an excellent atmosphere for a quiet yerba mate to be enjoyed alone or with friends. I noticed that people came in two or three at a time. One woman came in by herself, but she was accompanied by her laptop. The Guayaki Mate Bar has free Wi-Fi.

Adrienne Peters is the Manager of the Mate Bar, which has only been open for about a month. Adrienne did not just start when they opened however. She has helped with layout, design, construction, decorating and stocking for months. Her background in art, dance, teaching, personal training and restaurant management all played a part in bringing the perfect “jungle lounge” atmosphere to Sebastopol. But, the capper to her qualifications — she has been drinking yerba mate since 1995 — that’s before Guayaki was even founded!

The Guayaki Mate Bar is not just another “cookie-cutter” cafe. The menu boasts many locally grown organic foods that change with the seasons to assure freshness and variety. Local artists and craftsmen have created special pieces of furniture to complement South American artifacts and even the pictures on the walls tell the story of yerba mate.

We were so impressed with this U.S. version of a mate bar that we went back the next day for a morning mate and lunch. Like I mentioned earlier, you can get any kind of mate you want. Patti asked for a Brewed Mate and I ordered the full “Gourd Service” while we pondered the lunch menu.

For the full Gourd Service, a cebador comes to the table with all of the “fixin’s” to prepare a mate — loose yerba, a small container of cool water, a large pot of hot water, a ceramic gourd and a bombilla. You can order the individual size like I did, or a larger size to share with friends. For the novice, the cebador will help prepare one of the Guayaki gourds for you or show you how to prepare your own gourd. A good mate bar in Argentina will offer this same courtesy — but wait, this is right here in California!

Patti ordered a “bountiful green” salad for lunch. It was topped with a special organic dressing and apple slices and came with a side of toasted organic bread. I ordered a “trio” of organic empanadas (beef, chicken and veggie) that came with a side salad, curried cashews and chimichurri on the side. This was the first time I ever tried chimichurri, which is a famous Argentine sauce. It’s to die for!

Adrienne told us they were still tweaking the menu and some of their procedures. They are in no hurry to “go big;” they just want to dial-in a good little mate bar that can also serve as a retail outlet for some of the Guayaki products. The adjacent headquarters is not really open to the public, so this little storefront operation serves a very useful purpose.

One change that already occurred was the hours of operation. It turns out that the Sebastopol patrons really don’t arrive at the crack of dawn as anticipated. Current hours are: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends. Their biggest rush starts at 10:00 a.m.

Your biggest rush should be to visit the Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate Bar at 6782 Sebastopol Avenue in Sebastopol, California. Your mate is waiting!

 Salud!

Santa Barbara, California is gearing up for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference in June 2008. This annual event has attracted an impressive following since its inception in 1973 and more than 400 “wordsmiths” are expected to attend this year. You ask: “What do writers have to do with yerba mate?”

Just this. I have been wondering: ”Will the Santa Barbara Writers Conference start a new trend for writers to sip on yerba mate instead of coffee?” As writers flock to the Conference from all over the country, Santa Barbara is a good place to try yerba mate.

Writers are almost instinctively attracted to yerba mate because of the benefits it bestows. Forget writer’s block! With yerba mate, the distractions of the world just seem to disappear. There are no jitters with this healthy infusion like there are with the traditional “burnt beans” or the latest ”designer latte schmattes.” Instead, there is a sense of peace, calm and well-being; and, then there’s the ever-present intense power of focus and concentration it provides.

I first noticed this effect years ago when I would sit down to write something shortly after a morning mate and breakfast – my best time to write. I would quickly find myself deep in thought, words flowing to my computer, and the next thing I noticed it was 3:00 in the afternoon. I had missed lunch! More truthfully, I didn’t “miss” lunch at all, because I never experienced great pangs of hunger. I just channeled my thoughts into words right through the time period when most people normally ate lunch.

Many other writer types have also noticed this phenomenon. Several authors and bloggers graciously credit yerba mate for allowing them to stay alert and concentrate on their manuscript. Promoter, public speaker and entrepreneur, Tim Ferriss, openly gives kudos to yerba mate for helping him to complete his book The 4-Hour Workweek. He likes the way he can drink his mate and not experience the devastating caffeine crash that comes from coffee.

On the Santa Barbara Community Guide website, John Dickson takes great pride in listing the best coffee shops for writers. Unlike Rio de Janeiro, Santa Barbara doesn’t have mate bars throughout the city; but several of these coffee houses do sell yerba mate by the cup. Well, OK, one of them actually sells it in a glass. Go figure! A few of these Santa Barbara coffee houses are listed in my “By The Cup” Directory.

One of the reasons writers are attracted to coffee shops is the free wi-fi access to the Internet. This little amenity is a two-edged sword for the coffee shop owner however. On the one hand, it fills seats. On the other hand, if a writer sits alone in a booth or at a table for hours while nursing a single cup of java, the seat is not available for another customer. Even a big tip to the server, doesn’t make it work for the owner, who is basically renting the seat for the price of one cup. This is not a good business model.

To accommodate the competing demands of filling seats and selling from the menu, one of the Santa Barbara coffee shops posts a notice advising that their free Internet service is only available from 2:00 p.m. until closing.

I remember a great mate bar in downtown Buenos Aires that sold yerba mate in a gourd with a bombilla and a kettle of hot water. This was a fun place to visit and eat lunch if you were hungry, but they didn’t serve yerba mate at meal times. You had to go back later in the afternoon for your mate.

The June 2008 issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine has a featured article about “Literary Hot Spots” around the U.S. The authors say that each of the “Lit” cities featured has spots where serious writers congregate. Surprise! Coffee houses, cafes and taverns are cited as almost half of about 50 places referred to in the story. Most of the other locations mentioned, such as bookstores, libraries and writers’ clubs, also boast coffee or some other type of beverage service.

The magazine article concentrates on just a few cities, but a special online Writer’s Digest Forum invites readers to name other places where writers like to congregate. Many of the readers’ preferences are coffee houses.

 In the coming years, I am sure that more writers will be switching from coffee to yerba mate. It’s an easy transition and there are no caffeine withdrawal pains from making the switch. Yes, because of their need to concentrate and focus, many writers, bloggers and journalists will begin switching someday and the franchised chains of mate bars will surely follow.

In all probability, Santa Barbara, California will be one of the first U.S. cities to hop on the new yerba mate bandwagon. Write that down!

Salud!