Yerba mate might be new to the United States, but in its historical context it certainly is not new. Of course, the title of “first brewed beverage” goes to tea - legend dates it back to 2737 BC. From its origin in China we know that tea use slowly spread around the world. Yerba mate did not enjoy the same migration patterns however, because the yerba mate tree would not grow anywhere except in the South American rainforest.Â
Drinking a beverage made from coffee beans is believed to have originated in Ethiopia about 850 AD. It is possible that this coffee drink was brought to the new world before tea. While some historians claim that coffee originally came to North America through Canada, others say it was introduced to the new colony at Jamestown, Virginia by Captain John Smith in 1607. Either way, a little arithmetic lets you know that the coffee tradition in the Americas is at least 400 years old.
The conquistadores explored South America in the early 1500′s and the indigenous peoples were already using the yerba mate leaf for a beverage and a medicine. There is no way we can truly document when the pre-Columbian use of yerba mate began. Observations of harvesting procedures, curing processes, special implements and social rituals, all led the early explorers to believe the natives had been using it for a very long time. We do not know how long, but we can still conclude that the yerba mate custom in South America is older than 500 years!
Historical Timeline of Brewed Beverages
- 2737 BC – First record of tea consumption in China
- 805 AD – Tea is introduced to Japan
- c 850 – Presumed first use of coffee in Ethiopia
- c 1000 – First coffee plantations on Arabian peninsula
- c 1500 – Conquistadores observe yerba mate use in South America
- c 1600 – Dutch explorers bring tea to Europe
- 1607 – Coffee introduced to North American colonies
- 1645 – Jesuit missionaries cultivate yerba mate in South America
- 1650 – Peter Stuyvesant brings tea to New Amsterdam (New York)Â
- 1657 – British East India Company first sells tea in England
- 1668 – Lloyd’s of London coffee house opens in England
- 1765 – Tea is most popular beverage in the colonies
- 1767 – British Parliament imposes tax on tea imported by colonies
- 1767 – Jesuit missionaries are expelled from South America
- 1773 – Boston Tea Party makes coffee consumption patriotic
- 1795 – Tea is cultivated in South Carolina
- 1820 – Commercial harvesting of forest yerba in Brazil
- 1890 – Thomas J. Lipton Company founded to sell affordable teas
- 1892 – Origin of coffee blend known as Maxwell House
- 1897 – Commercial yerba plantations in Paraguay and Argentina
- 1900 – Hills Bros. Coffee begins packing coffee in vacuum tins
- 1903 – First patents issued for tea bags made of silk muslin
- 1904 – “Iced Tea” sold at World’s Fair in St. Louis
- 1907 – Brazil produces 97% of world’s coffee supply
- 1920 – Prohibition spawns increase in U.S. coffee consumption
- 1924 – Founding of Las Marias, world’s largest yerba plantation
- 1927 – Father of “Che” Guevara (1928-67) buys yerba plantation
- 1940 – U.S. imports 70% of world coffee production
- 1971 – Starbucks founded in Seattle
- 1982 – Wisdom of the Ancients is first U.S. brand of yerba mate
- 1984 – First Starbucks coffee bar in Seattle
- 1996 – New company, Guayaki, begins promoting mate in U.S.
- 2007 - Close to 200 brands of yerba mate worldwide
Salud!Â
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The above timeline was prepared from several sources that were sometimes inconsistent. If you have any corrections or additions, please send me a note or comment. Thanks.
Jim Worsham - is the author, editor, publisher, and owner of this blog. He resides in Long Beach, CA.