The communal tradition of yerba mate, rooted in Indigenous cultures and South American gauchos, is increasingly being absorbed into global market circuits, with commercial entities reporting significant profit gains. Cafe Corazon, identified as one of the largest importers of yerba mate in the Midwest, reported that its mate has been "flying off the shelves" as fans gathered in Kansas City for World Cup matches. This surge in sales highlights the rapid commodification of a beverage historically shared as a social bond, now generating substantial revenue for distributors.
From Communal Ritual to Market Commodity
The beverage, ubiquitous in several South American nations, has spread globally, particularly alongside the multicultural appeal of soccer. Fans arriving in Kansas City to support reigning World Cup winners Argentina were observed pouring and sharing mate in traditional gourd cups. Dulcinea Herrera, a co-owner of Cafe Corazon, noted the influx of customers, stating, "A lot of people have been coming in to try it. People who aren’t Argentinian want to just have that experience. And we have a lot of Argentinians coming in saying, ‘Oh, this reminds me of home.’" This commercial success demonstrates how cultural practices are integrated into the capitalist market, transforming shared experiences into purchasable commodities.
The historical origins of mate trace back to Indigenous people and the gauchos, South American cowboys, signifying its deep roots within working-class and traditional communities. Cultural anthropologist Christine Folch, author of “The Book of Yerba Mate,” explains that mate is traditionally made for social settings, with people sharing the same cup or bringing enough to share. Folch emphasized, "When somebody offers you mate and you accept, what you have done is you have stepped into a relationship. So it’s a way of bonding with people." This communal aspect stands in stark contrast to the individualized consumption promoted by modern market forces.
Star athletes, including Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, are avid drinkers, further elevating the drink's profile. Messi notably posted a photo of himself holding a mate cup alongside the World Cup trophy in 2022, four years ago, after his team's victory. Such endorsements, while perhaps unintentional, contribute to the drink's marketability and expand its reach into new consumer bases, paving the way for further commercial exploitation.
Capital's Re-packaging of Tradition
In the United States, the traditional dried leaves, historically found in Middle Eastern grocery stores due to mate's popularity in Syria and Lebanon more than 100 years ago, are now frequently sold in refrigerated cans. This re-packaging targets an American audience, marketing mate as a "natural energy drink" often mixed with fruit flavors. This transformation strips the beverage of its traditional preparation and communal context, reframing it for individual consumption and higher profit margins within the energy drink market.
Sebastian Cufre, who drove to Kansas City from Albuquerque with his father Rene, an Argentina native, expressed his disdain for these commercial adaptations. After trying the canned American version, Cufre stated, "Honestly, I don’t even consider that to be mate. That’s like a completely different class of beverage." His observation underscores the qualitative degradation that occurs when a cultural product is re-engineered by capital for mass market appeal, prioritizing profit over authenticity. Other commercial variations include a sweetened and carbonated version consumed by some Cuban Americans and Club Mate, a popular carbonated drink in Berlin often mixed with alcohol. These adaptations illustrate capital's relentless drive to innovate and diversify products to capture new segments of the consumer market, regardless of their departure from original cultural forms.
Fernando Villagran, who traveled from California to cheer for Argentina, reiterated the core social function of mate, stating, "It’s not only a drink, but a social thing. It is about friendship." This sentiment highlights the enduring collective value of mate, even as global capital continues its efforts to privatize and commodify communal traditions for surplus extraction. The contrast between the shared experience among fans and the burgeoning market for commercialized versions reveals the ongoing tension between collective cultural practice and the imperatives of profit.