In article <IKiyi.2412$wW6.450@trnddc08>,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Omelet wrote on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:40:14 -0500:
>
> ??>> Regardless how brewed all tea is an infusion... a tea bag
> ??>> is an infuser...
>
> O> Guess I should have specified Screen infuser. ;-)
>
> ??>> the nicest infusers I've seen are the kind they use in
> ??>> Argentina, a fancily tooled sterling silver device that
> ??>> looks like long soda straw with a perforated bulb at one
> ??>> end. The bulb is filled with leaves and placed in a tall
> ??>> glass of hot water that's sucked up through the straw.
> ??>> The Argentinians suck on those things all day. Only thing
> ??>> is I don't think it's tea, just looks like tea but I think
> ??>> they use all sorts of leaves, some narcotic.
> ??>>
> ??>> Sheldon
>
> O> Probably Yerba Matte.
> O> It is grown by the ton in Argentina and exported.
>
> If it is a narcotic it's pretty mild. I think the herb is a
> member of the mint family but I'll have to what Gernot Katzer
> says.
>
> James Silverton

Here we go:

http://erowid.org/plants/yerba_mate/yerba_mate.shtml

This is an interesting "trip report":

http://erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=16246

Yerba Matte is sold in 1 Kilo bags at Fiesta market in Austin for $3.19
to $3.99. That is 2.2 lbs. Dad likes to use it in his Kombucha brews.
I've been considering using it as a daily "wake up" beverage but have
not tried it yet.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson