12
1 Yerba Mate Tea, a Traditional South American …
been reported when speaking of organic and mineral chemical profiles in the same
soils (Piccolo et al. 2004).
With the exception of cultivation and/or re-plantation steps, the flow chart for
non-native yerba mate is similar to the process for native leaves (Fig. 1.4) (Maccari
Junior 2005; Matta 2019):
(a) On-the-ground leaf harvesting
(b) Transport of leaves to the processing facility
(c) General classification of leaves
(d) Storage of leaves
(e) Sapeco step (flash heating, temperature: 400–500 °C, time: 10 s-3 min) within
24 h from harvesting procedures
(f) Trituration and drying of yerba mate leaves, or initial barbaqua drying step
(100 °C, eight to 24 h—other alternative versions of the same process consider
30–180 min) or secado, reducing moisture to 3–6%, followed by trituration
(g) Milling step. After this step, yerba mate can be obtained in two different
versions (steps h or i)
(h) Production of roasted yerba mate: roasting (120 °C, 15 min), second milling,
and finally packaging into teabag packages. This product is used for maté
cocido: a green yerba mate used for producing herbal tea
(i) Production of loose yerba mate. Crushing, sieving, classified according to
grinding (coarse, medium, and fine degree), and finally: (1) packaging into
loose packages (commercial names: mate, chimarrão, and tererê), or (2) further
aged (6–24 months) before packaging (as loose products).
1.4 Consumption Behaviours and Yerba Mate Products.
One or More Mate Infusions? Differences Between
Countries in Latin America
1.4.1 Commercial Classification, Types, and Reasons
for National Diversification
As above mentioned, there is not only one yerba mate, but different yerba mate
products, depending on processes, packaging choices, national or regional habits, and
also the mode of consumption. Consequently, it may be difficult to define reliably
safety and health effects on human beings if correlated with the consumption of
yerba mate because of different uses. The analysis of historical traditions linked
with yerba mate (including different names for the same product, depending on the
nationality!) can be useful, because of the diffusion of the same plant in four Latin
American countries (Chap. 2–6). In addition, the commerce of mate preparations
in South America should be discussed from the regulatory viewpoint (Chap. 7).
At the same time, the diffusion of mate teas outside of the South American area
1 Yerba Mate Tea, a Traditional South American …
been reported when speaking of organic and mineral chemical profiles in the same
soils (Piccolo et al. 2004).
With the exception of cultivation and/or re-plantation steps, the flow chart for
non-native yerba mate is similar to the process for native leaves (Fig. 1.4) (Maccari
Junior 2005; Matta 2019):
(a) On-the-ground leaf harvesting
(b) Transport of leaves to the processing facility
(c) General classification of leaves
(d) Storage of leaves
(e) Sapeco step (flash heating, temperature: 400–500 °C, time: 10 s-3 min) within
24 h from harvesting procedures
(f) Trituration and drying of yerba mate leaves, or initial barbaqua drying step
(100 °C, eight to 24 h—other alternative versions of the same process consider
30–180 min) or secado, reducing moisture to 3–6%, followed by trituration
(g) Milling step. After this step, yerba mate can be obtained in two different
versions (steps h or i)
(h) Production of roasted yerba mate: roasting (120 °C, 15 min), second milling,
and finally packaging into teabag packages. This product is used for maté
cocido: a green yerba mate used for producing herbal tea
(i) Production of loose yerba mate. Crushing, sieving, classified according to
grinding (coarse, medium, and fine degree), and finally: (1) packaging into
loose packages (commercial names: mate, chimarrão, and tererê), or (2) further
aged (6–24 months) before packaging (as loose products).
1.4 Consumption Behaviours and Yerba Mate Products.
One or More Mate Infusions? Differences Between
Countries in Latin America
1.4.1 Commercial Classification, Types, and Reasons
for National Diversification
As above mentioned, there is not only one yerba mate, but different yerba mate
products, depending on processes, packaging choices, national or regional habits, and
also the mode of consumption. Consequently, it may be difficult to define reliably
safety and health effects on human beings if correlated with the consumption of
yerba mate because of different uses. The analysis of historical traditions linked
with yerba mate (including different names for the same product, depending on the
nationality!) can be useful, because of the diffusion of the same plant in four Latin
American countries (Chap. 2–6). In addition, the commerce of mate preparations
in South America should be discussed from the regulatory viewpoint (Chap. 7).
At the same time, the diffusion of mate teas outside of the South American area