Yerba mate is the green tea of South America.

A grassy tasting infusion made from the dried leaves (and sometimes twigs) of the yerba mate plant, it has less caffeine than coffee but is easier on the stomach. Devotees swear by it for creating alertness without the jittery effects of coffee.

In South America, yerba mate is traditionally sweetened with sugar substitute stevia and drunk from decorated gourd cups with a straw.