Postum[1] might be the opposite. Coffee for Mormons that didn't want to break the rules. I tried it, and it was awful. But ask any Mormon you know, and they usually at least know what it is. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postum
And "Mormon tea" would be similar but not caffeine -- ephedrine. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra
A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
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Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#112This reminds me of the paw paw (not to be confused with the papaya which Australians call pawpaw) https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/15/550985844/th... It's a fruit that seems tropical, a close relative of the custard apple or sitaphal that tastes like a pina colada. Yet it grows natively all over the eastern US. It's so common that in many places it's every third tree in the forest. I grew up in peak pawpa…
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
I ate a paw paw once, and since then I've been trying to find a definitely identified paw paw tree so I can recognize them in the wild. The fruit was so delicious and the seeds were really interesting and unique. If any of you are willing to show me a paw paw tree in person, please shoot me an email.
It's 1am where I live right now, but tomorrow I'll take a picture of the two in my backyard and post it. They're only just starting to leaf out after winter, but you can get a decent idea of what they look like.
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#114Holy crap, they are right! The OED does mistakenly define yaupon as having emetic properties! https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/yaupon How does one get the OED fix such an obvious error?
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#115I drink Yerba Mate every day, and when I heard about yaupon, definitely had to try it. Unroasted, it's very grassy, but refreshing. The roasted variety I got tasted quite similar to mate. It's really good. The biggest problem I have is that I can get a kilo of mate for $9, but 2 Oz of yaupon is in the $15-$20 range.
Where I live, yaupon is free (pick from ornamental bushes in front yard, or around practically any office building).
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#116"Mate", not "maté". I guess it's cool to add random accents to foreign words to make them look more exotic, but this changes the pronunciation of the word and in fact turns into a different one. "Mate" refers to "yerba mate" (as in the article) or even the gourd used to consume it; it's also a common abbreviation of "jaque mate", "checkmate". "Maté", on the other hand, means "I killed".
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#117Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#118"Mate", not "maté". I guess it's cool to add random accents to foreign words to make them look more exotic, but this changes the pronunciation of the word and in fact turns into a different one. "Mate" refers to "yerba mate" (as in the article) or even the gourd used to consume it; it's also a common abbreviation of "jaque mate", "checkmate". "Maté", on the other hand, means "I killed".
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#119Go nearly anywhere in Argentina and you will find mate. People walk around with a thermos of hot water and sip all day. It is a shared cultural experience too like saying hello. You see a friend, greet them, then offer them some mate. Our SF-based company has an office in Mendoza, Argentina. You will not find baristas and coffee (though Starbucks just opened there), but plenty of mate for everyone. Due to this connec…
Re: A Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
#120This reminds me of the paw paw (not to be confused with the papaya which Australians call pawpaw) https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/15/550985844/th... It's a fruit that seems tropical, a close relative of the custard apple or sitaphal that tastes like a pina colada. Yet it grows natively all over the eastern US. It's so common that in many places it's every third tree in the forest. I grew up in peak pawpa…
Pawpaws have very inconsistent harvests, don't ship well at all, and have a very short ready to eat -> overripe time. They are also, like you note, absolutely delicious. I have two trees in my backyard. (You need two for them to pollinate and bear fruit.) But there are practical reasons why you don't see them for sale very often.
Kentucky State:
http://kysu.edu/academics/cafsss/pawpaw/
http://ppserver.pawpaw.kysu.edu/KSUstory.htm
Purdue:
https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/nexus/Asimina_triloba_ne...
(I grew up around the trees and my father now grows and sells Pawpaw trees commercially.)