A very healthy herbal beverage from Argentina What do you get when you combine half the caffeine of coffee with a powerful dose of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutirients? You get an effect known as mateine. Someone who drinks mate is said to be ‘mateado’. The possible translations include happy, awake, and energized. All you need is a straw, a gourd, and a community of friends and family. Yerba Mate is an evergreen shrub of the holly family, “Ilex Paraguariensis” is a native plant to Northern Argentina, but from Brazil to Patagonia Mate is the drink of choice for stimulation, nutrition and social gatherings.many It’s name literally means, “Herb of the Cup”. It has a very “earthy” flavor and texture to it.