1514 - Spanish Conquistadors In Argentina

1514 - The knowledge of yerba maté goes back to the beginning of the indigenous Guarani people. When the Spanish conquistadors came to Argentina in 1514, they found this indigenous group using yerba maté for food, drink, and medicine. Yerba maté is nutritious, but for the Guarani people it also played a social role. It was used as part a of their culture and as a currency of exchange with other pre-Hispanic cultures including the Incas and many indigenous groups in the northern Amazon basin.