Note · Green notes
Mate
Ilex paraguariensis
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The dried leaves of mate, the traditional South American infusion, give a green absolute of hay and tobacco, lightly smoky.
What it brings
A dry green depth, between tea and tobacco.
Origins and uses
Mate is an infusion of the leaves of yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, a shrub related to holly. The drink comes from the culture of the Guarani and Tupi peoples, in a territory that now covers Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and south-eastern Bolivia. It is drunk from a gourd, with a metal straw fitted with a filter, the bombilla, and hot water that must not boil. Like tea and coffee, it contains caffeine. Green mate has a fresh, herbaceous taste; roasted, it takes on notes of caramel and hazelnut.
In perfumery, an extract of mate obtained with solvents is used. It brings a green, dry note, slightly smoky and hay-like, that gives character to citrus fragrances, florals and tea accords.
In our catalogue, mate appears in the base of Inlé by Memo Paris and Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d'Orange, and among the notes of Cologne Cédrat by Matière Première.
Text written with the help of AI, based on reference sources: encyclopedias, raw-material manufacturers and official information from the fragrance houses.
Material profile
- Family
- Green notes
- Nature
- Natural material
- Botanical name
- Ilex paraguariensis
- Origin
- Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil.
- How it is obtained
- Volatile solvent extraction
- On Volute
- 7 fragrances