Establecimiento Las Marías facts for kids
Establecimiento Las Marías is a very famous company. They make and package special drinks called infusions, like tea and yerba mate. For more than 100 years, Las Marías has been known for popular brands such as Taragüi, Unión, La Merced, and Mañanita. They have been making these products for a long time, since before 1925!
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The Story of Las Marías
The Navajas family owns Las Marías. They started growing yerba mate in 1924 on their large farm, called an estancia. They began with 38 hectares (about 94 acres) of mate plants. At first, many small farmers grew the mate leaves. Las Marías would then buy these leaves to process and package them.
Today, Las Marías handles almost everything themselves. They start by growing mate from seeds or cuttings from their best plants. They also buy mate from other trusted farmers. Company experts regularly check these farms to make sure the mate is grown well.
Las Marías has always been a leader in new ideas.
- In 1964, they created instant mate.
- In 1966, they started putting mate into tea bags.
- In 1973, they found ways to plant mate closer together, which helped them grow more.
- In 1981, they began using machines to harvest mate.
They also developed many new products:
- In 1982, they launched 'Unión', the first mate with a lighter flavor.
- In 1992, they introduced Taragüi Mate Listo, a ready-to-go mate in a disposable cup. You just add water!
- They created "Relax," a low-caffeine mate. This was made possible by their engineers who found a way to use a special mate plant called Ilex Dumosa, which has no caffeine.
- They also made "Bio" (Unión Bio), the first yerba mate with natural prebiotics, which are good for your gut health.
Mate in Argentina
Mate is a very important drink in Argentina. It was first discovered by the Guaraní people, who are Native Americans. Later, in the 1500s and 1600s, Jesuit missionaries helped to grow and prepare mate on a larger scale.
Today, mate is the most popular drink in Argentina, after tap water. It's truly the national drink! There are over 200 different brands of mate in Argentina. About 10 companies sell mate all over the country, making up 80% of the market. Las Marías is the biggest of these companies, selling more than 30% of all mate in Argentina. Their most famous brand is Taragüi.
Sharing Mate with the World
Las Marías also sends its mate to other countries. Out of 310,000 tons of mate produced in Argentina, about 40,000 tons are exported. This mate is sent either in large bulk amounts or already packaged in branded bags.
Las Marías is the top exporter of packaged mate, selling 45% of it. They only sell their own branded products, both in Argentina and overseas. Other companies also export mate, but many send it in bulk. This bulk mate is used to make other brands or as an ingredient in drinks like energy drinks.
The Middle East is a huge market for mate, buying about 60% of all exports. This is because many people from Argentina moved back to the Middle East in the 1950s. They had learned to drink mate in Argentina and continued the tradition.
New markets for mate are growing in Europe and North America. Most of these new markets prefer mate in tea bags. However, Poland is different. People there enjoy drinking traditional mate as a fun and unique experience, often sharing it with friends.
Mate and Friends
Drinking mate is a very social activity. People often share a single mate gourd and a bombilla (a special straw) with friends and family. It's a way to connect and spend time together, almost like sharing a cup of coffee or tea in other cultures.
See also
- Yerba mate
- Taragüi
