Yerba mate is a member of the holly family of plants that is widely distributed throughout South America. Although the herb has a very long history of use by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples of Paraguay and Brazil, yerba mate is relative newcomer to the rest of the world in the sense that it was only “discovered” in the late 19th century and didn’t gain wide popularity until the 1980s. While the herb has a variety of uses in its native regions, it is primarily used in tea blends and as a flavoring in liquors and other beverages.