¿ Cómo se produce la yerba para tus mates?

Summary

Yerba Mate, a quintessential Argentinean drink, is produced through a meticulous process involving seedling cultivation, soil preparation, and harvesting in Misiones and Corrientes. The leaves undergo 'sapecado' to halt oxidation, followed by a variable duration of drying. 'Yerba Mate Canchada' is then crushed, aged up to two years, and milled for the final blend. The natural, healthy product receives only heat, time, and milling, ensuring its quality and flavor.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Mate is a quintessential Argentinean beverage, deeply integrated into daily life.
• 🌿 The production process of mate involves a vast network of people from cultivation to consumption.
• 🌱 Seedlings are grown in a vivarium from seeds of selected mother plants and reach the field at 9-12 months old.
• 🏗️ Farmers prepare the soil with treatments to prevent erosion and enhance water and nutrient absorption before planting.
• 🌳 Seedlings are protected from direct sunlight by 'ponchillos' and grow to be pruned after four years.
• 📐 The production area, spanning 2,000 million square meters, is primarily located in the north-eastern provinces of Misiones and Corrientes.
• 📅 The harvest season for mate runs from April to September.
• ✂️ Farmers prune productive branches, which are then taken to the local drying plant for processing.
• 🔥 The 'sapecado' process uses direct heat to stop oxidation, preserving the color and properties of the leaves.
• 🔥 Drying involves applying heat for up to 20 hours, depending on the system, to reduce the moisture content.
• 🍃 A thick crushed product, 'Yerba Mate Canchada', is produced, with three kilos of green leaves needed for one kilo of final product.
• 📦 'Yerba Mate Canchada' is aged in special bags for up to two years to develop its aroma, appearance, color, and flavor.
• 🔄 The final stage involves 'milling', where each brand creates its unique blend.
• 🏷️ Each pack receives a certification stamp at the end of the packaging line, ensuring the quality of the natural and healthy product.

Q & A

What is the significance of mate in Argentinian culture?

Mate is a representative drink of Argentina, deeply integrated into daily life and enjoyed by many.

What is the initial step in the production process of mate?

The process begins in a vivarium where seedlings are multiplied using seeds from carefully selected mother plants.

How long does it take for the seedlings to be transferred to the field after multiplication?

Seedlings are transferred to the field after they reach an age of 9-12 months.

What are the soil treatments performed by farmers before planting mate seedlings?

Farmers perform several soil treatments including tracing contours to prevent erosion and sub-soiling to allow water and nutrient infiltration.

How does the protective measure 'ponchillos' contribute to the growth of mate seedlings?

The 'ponchillos' protect the seedlings from direct sunlight, aiding in their growth until they reach the age of four.

Where is the production area of mate located and how large is it?

The production area, approximately 2,000 million square meters, is located in the north-eastern provinces of Misiones and Corrientes.

What is the duration of the harvest season for mate?

The harvest season for mate runs from April to September.

What is the 'sapecado' process in mate production and why is it important?

The 'sapecado' process involves exposing green leaves and thin branches to direct heat to stop oxidation, preserving the product's color and properties.

How long can the drying process of mate last, and what is its purpose?

The drying process can last up to 20 hours, depending on the system, and it is meant to reduce the moisture content in the leaves.

What is 'Yerba Mate Canchada' and how is it produced?

'Yerba Mate Canchada' is a sub-product obtained after the drying process, created by thick crushing and then packed for aging.

How much green leaf material is required to produce one kilo of Yerba Mate?

To produce one kilo of Yerba Mate, approximately three kilos of green leaves are needed due to the dehydration process.

What is the final stage of the Yerba Mate production process called and what happens during this stage?

The final stage is called 'milling', where each brand creates its perfect mix to achieve the desired blend, followed by packaging and certification stamp application.

How does the production process of Yerba Mate contribute to it being a natural and healthy product?

The production process involves only heat, time, and milling, without any artificial additives, thus preserving the natural and healthy qualities of Yerba Mate.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 The Journey of Yerba Mate from Seed to Cup

This paragraph introduces Yerba Mate as a quintessential Argentinean beverage deeply rooted in daily life. It outlines the extensive process from seedling multiplication in vivariums using selected seeds, through to the planting and nurturing of the plants in the fields of Misiones and Corrientes. Protective measures such as 'ponchillos' are highlighted to ensure the seedlings' growth, and the importance of soil preparation to prevent erosion and promote water and nutrient absorption is emphasized. The paragraph sets the stage for the intricate journey that each Yerba Mate pack undergoes from farm to consumer.

Keywords

💡Mate

Mate is a traditional drink in Argentina, known for its cultural significance and daily consumption. It is the central theme of the video, illustrating the entire production process from seedling to the final product. The script emphasizes its natural and healthy attributes, making it a key concept in understanding the video's message about the drink's virtues.

💡Vivarium

A vivarium is a controlled environment used for growing plants, which is essential in the early stages of mate production. The script mentions that seedlings are multiplied in a vivarium, indicating the careful selection and nurturing of plants from the very beginning, setting the foundation for the quality of the final product.

💡Seedlings

Seedlings are young plants that have grown from seeds. In the context of the video, they represent the initial stage of mate production, where they are grown in a vivarium and later transferred to the field. The age of the seedlings, 9-12 months, is a critical detail that shows the time investment in the cultivation process.

💡Soil Treatments

Soil treatments refer to the various actions taken to prepare the soil for planting, such as tracing contours and sub-soiling. These treatments are crucial for preventing erosion and allowing water and nutrient infiltration, as mentioned in the script, and are directly related to the health and growth of the mate plants.

💡Ponchillos

Ponchillos are protective coverings used to shield young mate plants from direct sunlight. The script describes their use during the growth phase, highlighting the meticulous care taken to ensure the plants' optimal development, which is vital for the quality of the mate.

💡Pruning

Pruning is the process of selectively removing parts of a plant to encourage growth or maintain its shape. The script mentions that mate plants are first eligible for pruning at the age of four, indicating a specific stage in the plant's life cycle that is important for the production of the final product.

💡Harvest Season

The harvest season, which runs from April to September according to the script, is a critical period in the mate production cycle. It is the time when the mature branches are pruned and collected for processing, directly impacting the quantity and quality of mate available for consumers.

💡Sapecado

Sapecado is the first processing step after harvesting, where the green leaves and thin branches are exposed to direct heat for a few seconds. This 'Heat Knock' stops oxidation, preserving the color and properties of the mate, as described in the script, and is a key step in maintaining the drink's natural qualities.

💡Drying

Drying is the process of applying heat to reduce the moisture content in the mate leaves and branches. The script specifies that this can take up to 20 hours, depending on the system used, and is a crucial step in transforming the green leaves into the final mate product.

💡Yerba Mate Canchada

Yerba Mate Canchada is a sub-product obtained after the drying process, where the leaves are crushed to produce a thick substance. The script explains that it is packed and aged for up to two years, developing its aroma, appearance, color, and flavor, which is essential for understanding the transformation of the raw material into the final product.

💡Milling

Milling refers to the final stage of the mate production process, where each brand creates its unique blend. The script emphasizes that this process involves a perfect mix to achieve the desired flavor, which is central to the brand identity and consumer experience of the mate drink.

💡Certification Stamp

A certification stamp signifies that the mate has undergone all necessary checks and meets quality standards. The script mentions it being applied at the end of the packaging line, indicating the importance of quality assurance in the production of mate and its relevance to consumer trust.

Highlights

Mate is a representative drink of Argentina, present in daily life.

Production involves thousands in the chain, from seedling to consumer.

Seedlings are grown in vivarium from selected mother plant seeds.

Seedlings are transferred to the field at 9-12 months old.

Soil treatments like tracing contours and sub-soiling are crucial before planting.

Seedlings are protected from sunlight by 'ponchillos' as they grow.

Mate plants are first pruned at the age of four.

The production area spans 2,000 million square meters in Misiones and Corrientes.

Harvest season for mate runs from April to September.

Pruning of productive branches is performed before transfer to the drying plant.

The 'sapecado' process uses heat to stop oxidation and preserve color and properties.

Drying involves applying heat for up to 20 hours depending on the system.

After drying, 'Yerba Mate Canchada' is produced through a thick crushing process.

Three kilos of green leaves are needed to produce one kilo of Yerba Mate.

Yerba Mate Canchada is aged in warehouses for up to two years to develop aroma and flavor.

Final stage involves 'milling' where brands create their unique blends.

The production process uses only heat, time, and milling, emphasizing natural and healthy qualities.

A certification stamp is applied at the end of the packaging line.

Transcripts

Mate is, undoubtedly, one of the most representative drinks of Argentina

and is present in every moment of our daily lives.

But before reaching consumers, each pack, goes through a long process,

involving thousands of people in its production and processing chain.

It all starts in vivarium where seedlings multiplication is performed,

based on seeds of carefully selected mother plants.

Once the seedlings reach an age of 9-12 months, they are transferred to field.

Before planting, the farmer performs several treatments to the soil.

At this point, tracing contours and sub-soiling are fundamental.

In the first case, to prevent erosion and, second, to allow infiltration of water and nutrients.

Once in field and protected from direct sunlight by a "ponchillos"

seedlings grow to the age of four, when they are first eligible for pruning or crops.

The production area is about 2.000 millons of square meters and is located in Misiones and Corrientes north-east.

The harvest Season goes from April to September.

The farmers perform pruning of productive branches and transfer them to the local Drying Plant.

Once in it, the first process called "sapecado" begins.

It consists in submitting the green leaves and thin branches to direct heat for a few seconds.

With this "Heat Knock" the oxidation is stopped, allowing the product to retain its color and properties.

In a continuous process the drying is the next step. Consists in applying heat between moderate and severe

for a variable period that can be extended to 20 hours, depending on the drying system.

Once the drying is over, a thick crushed is performed to get a sub product,

called "Yerba Mate Canchada".

Because the dehydration process, to produce a Kilo of Yerba Mate

requires approximately three kilos of green leaves.

The "Yerba Mate Canchada" is packed in special bags an then aged

in proper warehouses for a period up to two years.

After routine checks and once the "canchada" developed its best aroma, appearance, color and flavor,

it advance to the final stage : the "milling".

In this process, each brand perform its perfect mix to get the desire blend.

At the end of the packaging line, a certification stamp is applied.

As we saw in the whole process of Yerba Mate production

the leaves only receives heat, time and milling.

Thus, it further strengthens the virtues of our "Yerba Mate", since it is a natural and healthy product.