Mate is the national drink here in Uruguay, has been for a century or two :) (and for 500 years in Paraguay). And it was a fad in California some years past. ("According to a major retailer of mate in San Luis Obispo, California, by 2004, mate had grown to about 5% of the overall natural tea market in North America") But I'm surprised at the speed it's propagating in Europe. Many say it's much better suited for prolo…
I bought some Mate at a local store. I really liked the taste. Grassy, but in an elegant way. And it kicks less than a strong coffee, but it did seem to last longer.
What I heard was that throat cancer was more prevalent in parts of Southern America where people drink Mate. The traditional way of brewing it, in a gourd with boiling water is fine. The problem comes from actually drinking it while still next to boiling temperature. Interesting.