Traditional Products from South America

Traditional Products from South America

In 1515, the Spanish conquistadores came to what is now Argentina searching for gold and silver. They found yerba maté instead. To the indigenous Guarani people of the forest, yerba maté was everything. It was food. It was drink. It was medicine.

The gauchos made yerba maté their constant companion. After a hard day’s work on the pampas, they gathered around the campfire, put the precious herb (yerba) into a hollowed our gourd (maté), covered it with hot water, inserted a hollow reed (bombilla), and passed the gourd around so all could share the refreshing beverage.

Today, yerba maté is the favorite drink of many South Americans. It is a way to lift your spirits, start the day, greet guests and share the good times with friends and family.

Stevia is a naturally sweet plant native to Paraguay that is 30 times sweeter than sugar in its unprocessed form. With more than 1,000 studies and patents on Stevia, it is known to be all-natural, contain zero calories and have a zero glycemic index. Through a patented process the pure glycosides can be extracted from the Stevia leaves and turned into an intensely sweet powder that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia can also be turned into a delicious consumer friendly product safe for all beverages, soft foods and baking.

Pau d'Arco, made from the inner bark of the tree found in Brazil and Paraguay, is an all-natural way to reduce inflamation and pain, boost immunity, and eliminate foot fungus (as a foot soak).