YERBA MATE

Yerba mate is used to making a beverage known as a mate. When served cold, the drink is called tereré in Guaraní. It is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America, primarily in Paraguay, as well as in Argentina, Uruguay, southern and central-western Brazil, the Chaco region of Bolivia and southern Chile

Yerba mate is popular in Paraguay, where people are seen walking the streets carrying the mate and termo (thermal vacuum flask) in their arms.

The flavour of brewed mate resembles an infusion of vegetables, herbs, grass and is reminiscent of some varieties of green tea. Some consider the flavour to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water. Flavoured mate is also sold, in which the mate leaves are blended with other herbs (such as peppermint) or citrus rind.

In Paraguay a mate infusion, called tereré in Spanish is consumed as a cold or iced beverage, usually sucked out of a horn cup called guampa with a bombilla. Tereré can be prepared with cold water (the most common way in Paraguay).

Paraguayans have a tradition of mixing mate with crushed leaves, stems, and flowers of the plant known as flor de Agosto (the flower of August, plants of the genus Senecio, particularly Senecio grisebachii), which contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Modifying mate in this fashion is potentially toxic, as these alkaloids can cause a rare condition of the liver, veno-occlusive disease, which produces liver failure due to progressive occlusion of the small venous channels in the liver.

STEVIA

Its extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

Paraguay is one of the main countries where Stevia rebaudiana or kaʼa heʼẽ (Guarani) is cultivated. In 2014 an area of 2,300 hectares was devoted to this crop, producing 3,680 tonnes, according to estimates of the National Directorate of Censuses and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The Paraguayan departments that produce the greatest yield (kilograms per hectare) are San Pedro, Caaguazú, Itapúa and Alto Paraná.

Ka’a he’ê, which means ‘sweetgrass’ in Guaraní, or Stevia Rebaudiana to give it its scientific name, has been part of Paraguay’s Pãi Tavyterã indigenous people’s lives for centuries. Today, it is produced on an industrial scale.

The Pãi Tavyterã were among the first to take advantage of stevia’s healing properties and sweetness. The herb is now traded worldwide and the community has long argued for compensation for something they consider their natural heritage.

Domestic production cannot meet growing overseas demand and poor infrastructure and little state support for stevia cultivation compared to crops such as soy present big challenges.

STEVIA

Its extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

Paraguay is one of the main countries where Stevia rebaudiana or kaʼa heʼẽ (Guarani) is cultivated. In 2014 an area of 2,300 hectares was devoted to this crop, producing 3,680 tonnes, according to estimates of the National Directorate of Censuses and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The Paraguayan departments that produce the greatest yield (kilograms per hectare) are San Pedro, Caaguazú, Itapúa and Alto Paraná.

Ka’a he’ê, which means ‘sweetgrass’ in Guaraní, or Stevia Rebaudiana to give it its scientific name, has been part of Paraguay’s Pãi Tavyterã indigenous people’s lives for centuries. Today, it is produced on an industrial scale.

The Pãi Tavyterã were among the first to take advantage of stevia’s healing properties and sweetness. The herb is now traded worldwide and the community has long argued for compensation for something they consider their natural heritage.

Domestic production cannot meet growing overseas demand and poor infrastructure and little state support for stevia cultivation compared to crops such as soy present big challenges.

SESAME SEEDS

Sesame has important agricultural attributes. It is adapted to tropical and temperate conditions, grows well on stored soil moisture with minimal irrigation or rainfall, can produce good yields under high temperatures, and its grain has a high value. The Confectionery Sesame is produced almost entirely on the eastern region of Paraguay, most notably on the San Pedro, Concepción and Canindeyú departments.

The sesame industry in Paraguay is in fact deeply related to Japan. Originally, the industry was begun in 1989 by a Japanese immigrant, Mr. Toshikazu Shirosawa. The majority of the sesame produced was shipped to Japan, and during a certain period, Paraguay was the largest exporter to Japan, supporting Japan’s demand for a sesame for food use.

Black Sesame is produced in Itapua region, located in Southern Paraguay. In the world, Black Sesame producing countries are very limited, and as one of them, the production is expected to grow in the future.

LACEWEB

Ñandutí is a traditional Paraguayan lace. The name means “spider web” in Guaraní, the official, the indigenous language of Paraguay.

The lace is worked on fabric which is stretched tightly in a frame. The pattern is drawn on the fabric and the threads, which go to-and-fro across the circular motif and are either taken through running stitches worked along the pattern lines or stitched directly through the fabric. When finished, the motifs are released by either cutting the running stitches or cutting away the backing fabric. While single motifs can be worked like this, it is more usual to work the whole item as one piece – the pattern for the complete mat or collar is drawn on the fabric and the wheels are linked together as the radial threads are laid down