1.3 Ilex Paraguariensis, a Peculiar Plant, and Yerba Mate
11
(3) With relation to the trituration and drying step (unless the drying is carried
out firstly), the basic objective is to obtain a final moisture for leaves up to 3–
6%. The cancheada leaves have to contain a reduced water amount; otherwise,
non-constant moisture levels and other possible differences related to times and
thermal values could affect negatively and in a cumulative way many chemical
profiles of the final yerba mate
(4) The roasted yerba mate is especially preferred in the Brazilian market
(5) The milling step and subsequent size-reducing procedures are important
enough. In Brazil, the desired particle size should not exceed 300 µm, while
Argentinean operators desire higher values (5 mm).
As a consequence, there are more than one single yerba mate on the South American markets and worldwide. In addition, sensorial factors able to describe yerba mate
may notably vary depending on processing steps. In general, the following parameters are the basis for sensorial description when speaking of commercial yerba mate
(Heck and Mejia 2007):
(1) General appearance: in terms of stick and leaf dimensions, uniformity, amount
of sticks, and measurable amount of mate dust
(2) General features of mate infusions: in terms or visible sediments, turbidimetric
values, and colorimetric tint (it should be normally brownish)
(3) Aroma and flavour features: acid taste, humid appearance, smoke aroma, green
appearance, bitter taste, toasted flavour, perceivable presence of residuals.
1.3.3.2 Cultivated Yerba Mate (Including also Mixed Systems)
Production Steps
With reference to non-native’ yerba mate, the basic difference concerns the possibility of cultivating and re-planting existing mate plants. In the first situation, new
plantation areas are needed, while the mixed system requires only that mate plants
are continually replaced after the existing plants have been damaged excessively
(or after death). In the ambit of cultivated and mixed productions, high yields have
and are still notable if compared to ‘native’ (harvesting only) systems. However,
the mechanisation of harvesting processes and the circumstance that monocultures
are exposed to full sun may determine some metabolic alteration with visible and
sensorially perceivable damages to leaves. Substantially, cultivated yerba mate has
progressively turned into Ombrophilous species (such as natural plants living in
dense forests, without full sunlight). Under the action of full sunlight, some modifications have to be considered, including also high sensibility to insects and illnesses
(Marques et al. 2012). In this situation, the mixed system may favour the resistance
of I. paraguariensis, because integrated cultivations inside forests should suffer light
effects when speaking of diseases, lack of fertilisers, and plant shading/defence from
full sunlight. The qualitative result is reported to be excellent, at least when speaking
of flavour features. On the other hand, some important modifications of cleared soils
(initially covered by forests) with yerba mate plantations (no mixed systems) have
11
(3) With relation to the trituration and drying step (unless the drying is carried
out firstly), the basic objective is to obtain a final moisture for leaves up to 3–
6%. The cancheada leaves have to contain a reduced water amount; otherwise,
non-constant moisture levels and other possible differences related to times and
thermal values could affect negatively and in a cumulative way many chemical
profiles of the final yerba mate
(4) The roasted yerba mate is especially preferred in the Brazilian market
(5) The milling step and subsequent size-reducing procedures are important
enough. In Brazil, the desired particle size should not exceed 300 µm, while
Argentinean operators desire higher values (5 mm).
As a consequence, there are more than one single yerba mate on the South American markets and worldwide. In addition, sensorial factors able to describe yerba mate
may notably vary depending on processing steps. In general, the following parameters are the basis for sensorial description when speaking of commercial yerba mate
(Heck and Mejia 2007):
(1) General appearance: in terms of stick and leaf dimensions, uniformity, amount
of sticks, and measurable amount of mate dust
(2) General features of mate infusions: in terms or visible sediments, turbidimetric
values, and colorimetric tint (it should be normally brownish)
(3) Aroma and flavour features: acid taste, humid appearance, smoke aroma, green
appearance, bitter taste, toasted flavour, perceivable presence of residuals.
1.3.3.2 Cultivated Yerba Mate (Including also Mixed Systems)
Production Steps
With reference to non-native’ yerba mate, the basic difference concerns the possibility of cultivating and re-planting existing mate plants. In the first situation, new
plantation areas are needed, while the mixed system requires only that mate plants
are continually replaced after the existing plants have been damaged excessively
(or after death). In the ambit of cultivated and mixed productions, high yields have
and are still notable if compared to ‘native’ (harvesting only) systems. However,
the mechanisation of harvesting processes and the circumstance that monocultures
are exposed to full sun may determine some metabolic alteration with visible and
sensorially perceivable damages to leaves. Substantially, cultivated yerba mate has
progressively turned into Ombrophilous species (such as natural plants living in
dense forests, without full sunlight). Under the action of full sunlight, some modifications have to be considered, including also high sensibility to insects and illnesses
(Marques et al. 2012). In this situation, the mixed system may favour the resistance
of I. paraguariensis, because integrated cultivations inside forests should suffer light
effects when speaking of diseases, lack of fertilisers, and plant shading/defence from
full sunlight. The qualitative result is reported to be excellent, at least when speaking
of flavour features. On the other hand, some important modifications of cleared soils
(initially covered by forests) with yerba mate plantations (no mixed systems) have