Planet Berlin: Mate is not tea
A Brazilian and Indian offer top quality Brazilian mate leaves at the Meta Mate Bar in Prenzlauer Berg.
Direct from the source
Krithika and Fabricio do Cando are more than willing to discuss the origin, production and correct terminology regarding yerba mate over a glass of the brew. In 2011, they opened the Meta Mate Bar in the Kollwitz neighborhood, featuring mate imported directly from farmers in the Brazilian jungle.
Beyond tea
It's been clear for a while: Mate is not tea! The leaf comes from a yerba mate shrub or tree that belongs to the holly genus. The drink is an infusion of dried mate leaves and is traditionally drunk throughout South America.
Sustainable development
Direct contact with farmers is just as important to the owners as sustainability. Working with the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development and stakeholders in Brazil, they have developed concepts for the recultivation of land. It's an educational project aiming to teach Brazilian students mate cultivation and processing methods.
Wild and fresh
According to the owners, Meta Mate Bar is the only dealer in Germany that sells wild mate produced by independent farmers that is fresh, hand-harvested, smoked and traditionally dried. Krithika and Fabricio do Cando also sell cuias, the traditional mate drinking vessels for mate, in their shop.