Mate is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused herbal drink. It is made by soaking dried yerba-mate leaves in hot water and is traditionally served with a metal straw (bombilla) in a container typically made from a calabash gourd (also called the mate), but also made from a cattle horn (guampa) in some areas. A very similar preparation, known as mate cocido, removes some of the plant material and sometimes comes in tea bags. Today, mate is sold commercially in tea bags and as bottled iced tea. Mate has been originally consumed by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples native to Brazil and neighboring countries. After European colonization, it was spread across the Southern Cone countries, namely Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, but it is also consumed in the South of Brazil and the Bolivian Chaco. Mate is the national beverage of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Chile, mate is predominantly consumed in the central and southern regions. Mate is also popular in Lebanon and Syria, where it was brought by immigrants from Paraguay and Argentina.