#zergnet

The Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries

I knew it! There had to have been an indigenous caffeinated beverage in North America! And there was.....is... The First Nations people weren’t groggily stumbling through their days waiting for Folgers. 

In the Columbian Exchange Europeans found their fields and tables greatly enriched: tomatoes, potatoes, capsicums (chilies), chocolate, lima beans - well, some folks might question the inclusion of lima beans. But what happened with this North American cousin of the South American yerba mate’? Well, one explanation is the scientific name assigned by the English Royal Gardener, one William Aiton: Ilex vomitoria. Giving something a name suggestive of vomiting doesn’t exactly set the market aflame. And who was pushing an alternative stimulant at the time? The British East India Co., purveyors of fine teas and opiums. Cassina, aka yaupon, and not a source of mercantilist profits was thus consigned to a culinary footnote. 

If you want to try it, check out Catspring Yaupon or Lost Springs Yaupon Tea, both in Texas. The shrub is hardy to USDA Zone 8, maybe 7.

So, if I buy these German hearing aids, even though I’m not deaf, it will change my life?