From: N. Clauson
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Yerba Mate: Explanation
Date: 4 Jan 94 16:58:33 GMT

This description of Yerba Mate comes from the Herbal Stimulant Tea
Sampler, from ..of the Jungle (an excellent rare-botanical supply co.)

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguayensis)

	This traditional Argentine beverage comes from the leaves of
a bushy South American tree.  The thick, shiny leaves are very rich in 
caffeine (to 2%) and vitamins.  They have several volatile oils
present which give the tea part of its distinctive aroma and taste.  The
best quality product comes from a process of fire roasting and curing 
the fresh branches to develop the characterisitc smoky flavor prized by
mate lovers.  In Paraguay and Argentina it is the national beverage,
comsumed in vast quantities daily.  Much of the supply comes from wild
native trees which are perfectly suting to sustainable harvesting.  The
foraging industry depends on the preservation of intact forest habitat, so
the protection of South American forests is in part made necessary by a
strong market demand for such wild collected products.  Driking mate helps
protect the planet's endangered habitats and support simple forest people
with a right livelihood.
	Yerba Mate is made in South America in a ritualized ceremony using
a special cup and strar set.  These are often highly ornamented utensils
crafted from pure silver.  The straw is flay at the base and fitted with a
screen wich allows the brew to be strained as it is sipped.  A spoonful of
cushed, dried leaves is placed in the cup and boiling water poured over
them and left to steep for several minutes.  Those of us without the
traditional apparatus can prepare an equally fine beverage by pouring
water over the herb in a teapot and straining into cups after steeping.
	The effects are relatively long lasting, inducing a type of mental
clarity and expansion of though proecessing capabilities.  A feeling of
enhanced memory and accelerated intellect is often experienced, however
the racy edge of physical and mental stimulation is seldom noted.  This
state is especially suitng to periods of intense study, calculations, and
cerebral activity requring endurance to maintain continous attention and
precision focusing.

*******

	Well there you go..  The stimulant sampler I mentioned contained
an ounce each of Kola Nut Powder, Yerba Mate, Cacao Seed Powder, and
Japanese Unfermented green tea (for only US$10)  The description of Yerba
Mate's effects are accurate.  I would drink a cup after dinner (around 6 PM)
after a hard day of classes, and I'd be -wired- until 1 or 2 AM.  Unlike
drinking coffee or coke, I'd only need the one cup, and I wouldn't have
the heart pounding, mind racing effects you usually get.  Yerba is
definately a much cleaner, clearer high.  (At least for me.  I was
usually programming, doing homework, or writing papers when I drank it,
so my mind was active anyways..)  I also found mate to help during exams,
because it didn't give me any nervous jitters like you get from drinking
Jolt.

	I can explain the effects of the other teas if asked, or I can
tell you about the other Of the Jungle products I tried.  

Neil Clauson 
nclauson@lynx.northeastern.edu