Yerba Mate is the name for leaves of Paraguayan Holly, which grows in South American subtropical forests. Yerba leaves undergo a special treatment: they are, among other, dried, crushed and gently roasted.

Due to long history of cultivation yerba mate has many alternative names: erva mate, herba mate, jesuit tea, missionary tea, st. Bartholomew tea, Paraguay tea, Paraguay cayi, South American Holly, chimarro, cimarron. Its Latin botanical name is Illex paraguariensis

Many of those names originated thanks to the increase of yerba popularity, which started to occur beyond South America in XVI and XVII centuries. The name yerba was probably introduced by Jesuits, who became much interested in its qualities. Yerba comes from Latin herba, which stands for herb. Second part of the name - mate, is a word for a special cup that mate is drunk from. In Quechua Indians language the word mati means a drinking vessel made of Lagendaria Vulgaris pumpkin, used for drinking mate with a help of a metal straw called bombilla.