Yerba Mate Mania?

Is yerba mate the next coffee? Nope, sorry. Green tea was the next coffee. Then white tea was the next green tea. But maybe if we wait long enough, yerba mate can can take a crack at being the next white tea. Or it can just be yerba mate and not the next anything and we can stop all this foolishness right now.

But, if we're to believe the smartypants types who make it their business to know these things, yerba mate may be poised for a breakthrough. The Center For Culinary Development decreed, in a recent trend mapping report, that yerba mate is about ready to go bonkers. I'm paraphrasing, by the way - smartypants types don't generally use words like "bonkers".

Over at the International Association for Culinary Professionals they're also keeping an eye on yerba mate. They've decided that it's one of the top five cutting edge ingredients worldwide.

If you need to brush up on your Yerba Mate 101, take a look at this recent report from London's Financial Times.

Tea and c***** trade journal Fresh Cup did a piece on yerba mate in their February issue. I couldn't find it at their Web site anymore, but maybe you'll have better luck.

As for some of those overzealous claims for yerba mate and other "healthy" products, here's an ABC News report - Energy-Boosting Supplements: Myths and Facts - that might help bring everyone back to Earth. Among the myths it addresses is that lingering one about yerba mate not having caffeine.

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