Yerba Mate
ILEX PARAGUAIENSIS
Origin SOUTH AMERICA
Active ingredient CAFFEINE, THEOPHYLLINE AND THEOBROMINE
RITUAL, RECREATIONAL use
The arrival of the Jesuit priests in South America in the 16th century brought mistrust of yerba mate, a sacred plant for the indigenous Guarani, associated with spiritual connection. Its consumption and the role of women in preparing and sharing mate worried the missionaries, who saw the herb as a symbol of supposed indigenous moral corruption that should be "corrected" by the Catholic religion.
Other plants
References:
Massini, Marina. "Erva Mate In Debate: Federico Borromeo, Jesuits and Doctors." Antiguos Jesuitas En Iberoamérica 6 (January 22, 2018): 3. https://doi.org/10.31057/2314.3908.v6.n1.19192.
"The Legend of Yerba Mate." Purunã Institute | Sustainable Tourism Development, November 3, 2020. https://institutopuruna.com.br/a-lenda-da-erva-mate/.