Pronounced mah-teh, yerba mate is technically not tea. It is a plant that belongs to the holly species. This plant starts as a shrub and can grow up to 50 feet in height. When the plant is harvested, the branches and leaves are typically dried by wood fire (this often results in a smoky flavor), chopped and made into the powder that becomes part of the yerba mate. 

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'Yerba' (in Spanish) or 'erva' (in Portugese) means herb. 'Mate' refers to the calabash gourd that is used as the traditional cup from which yerba mate is drunk.

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Traditionally, yerba mate is consumed in groups with family or friends. The person who prepares the yerba mate, known as a 'cebador', will prepare the drink and consume the entire first gourd full. This happens to make sure the drink is not too hot or cold, and to clean out any particles that may have settled to the bottom of the gourd. Next, the mate is filled with warm water again and passed to the next person in the circle. Once that person has emptied the mate, it is passed back to the cebador where it is then refilled and passed to the next person. This method continues until the yerba mate is complete (which can be up to 20+ refills).