A Hot Tea From The Rain Forest

By Rebecca Winters

Yerba mate, a rain-forest plant native to South America, has long been brewed there as an alternative to tea and coffee. Mate sippers credit the green tea-like drink, which has less caffeine than coffee, with fighting fatigue, aiding digestion and helping defog the brain. Now yerba mate, in flavors like orange blossom and mint, is showing up in the U.S. in specialty teas, chocolates and bottled drinks. The grassy-tasting plant has been added to two varieties of SmartChocolate bars, a new raspberry flavor of Vitaminwater called Determination, and Zygo, a peach-infused vodka. Enthusiasts claim the plant's antioxidants help fight cancer, though like all herbal products, yerba mate hasn't been tested by the FDA. --By Rebecca Winters