Before it was a drink, mate was a gift.
In the lush forests of what is now Paraguay, the Guaraní people called it ka’a and saw it as a sacred plant. Legend tells that the goddess of the moon once descended to Earth and was saved from a wild beast by a hunter. To thank him, she offered a plant whose leaves could be infused in hot water —a gift of rest, warmth, and friendship.
That’s how mate was born: as a symbol of gratitude and connection.
Among the Guaraní, sharing mate was more than hospitality —it was a way to honor the spirit of nature. Every sip carried a whisper of the forest, of the rivers and the soil that sustained them. The circle formed around the mate was a sacred one, where no one was left outside. It was a ritual that taught patience, respect, and equality: one gourd, one drink, passed from hand to hand.
When the colonizers arrived, mate began to travel beyond the jungle. Jesuit missionaries cultivated it in their missions and helped spread it throughout the Río de la Plata region. From there, it became the drink of travelers, herders, gauchos, and families who gathered around a fire. In the vast plains, the mate was comfort, company, and constancy —a pause in the rhythm of labor, a symbol of companionship on the endless road.
Over time, the mate became a quiet witness to daily life in South America. It was present in mornings before work, in long conversations at dusk, and in moments of solitude. It crossed social boundaries: from ranches to cities, from humble kitchens to elegant salons. No matter who held the gourd, the gesture remained the same —to share, to listen, to be present.
It changed shape —from calabash to metal, from carved wood to ceramic— but never lost its meaning: to bring people together. And somehow, without fanfare, mate began to travel again —this time far beyond South America. From the lands of the Río de la Plata to Europe, and even to some Arab countries where it found a familiar spirit of gathering and hospitality, the ritual discovered new hands and new paths. What was once a local custom became a universal language of connection.
Mate Today: A Ritual That Evolves
Centuries later, mate continues to unite people. It can be brewed with water or milk, enjoyed alone or in company, sweet or bitter, in a classic gourd or a modern silicone mate. What matters isn’t how it’s made, but the space it opens up —a moment of warmth, simplicity, and togetherness.
At Luv Mate, we believe that this legacy deserves to live on, in ways that fit our modern rhythm without losing its soul. We keep the tradition alive, one shared sip at a time.