rediscovery

 Curiously and peculiar was my introduction to Yaber Mate Tea back in 1970, when a like minded yogi and I were discussing fasting, he pulls out a bag of paste made of Yaber Mate coated with honey. He said the Mate had a natural stimulant and could stave off hunger by eating just a few pinches of the paste. Hindsight tells me that might not be a good thing to do. But I had no ill effects. So  Eastern ideology went hand in hand with the appreciation of tea. My most favorite read back then was a book I found at a book sale, Book Of Tea By Kakuzo Okakura, 1906. Ripped to shreads by my dog Ivanho in the 80's, lol.
 But Yaber Mata Tea was not the tea of ancient asia, but of ancient South America. Black tea is from the plant Camellia Sinensis and Mate is from Ilex Paraguariensis. Technically, mate is not a tea, but a tisane.

Tisanes are herbal teas and herbs make me happy. The folkore is closer to home. Something I can grow. This sage made a wonderful tea. Have a favorite herbal tea? Mint? Rosehips?