Yerba Mate, the gaucho's secret elixir, this is what keeps those Argentinian cowboys going from dawn till dusk out on the pampas. It is in fact a caffeine-free alternative stimulant called matteine which gives the brew its zing. The hollowed out gourd called the 'Mate' is handed round like a peace pipe & the infusion is sucked up through a silver straw known as a 'Bombilla' – a very sociable version of taking a tea type substance. It is also attributed with many other health giving properties, which could explain why there’s no a paunch under a gaucho’s poncho…