Socio–Cultural Significance of Yerba Maté among Syrian Residents and Diaspora NAJI SULAIMAN 1 ,ANDREA PIERONI 2,3 ,RENATA SÕUKAND 4 ,CORY WHITNEY 5,6 , AND ZBYNEK POLESNY * ,1 1 Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Praha - Suchdol, Czech Republic 2 University of Gastronomic Sciences, Pollenzo, Bra, Italy 3 Medical Analysis Department, Faculty of Science, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq 4 Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy 5 Institute of Crop Sciences and Resource Conservation (INRES), Horticulture Institute, University of Bonn, Auf Dem Huegel 6, 53121, Bonn, Germany 6 Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany *Corresponding author; e-mail: polesny@ftz.czu.cz Socio–Cultural Significance of Yerba Maté among Syrian Residents and Diaspora. Syria is the world’s second–largest importer of the dried leaves of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.–Hil., commonly known as yerba maté. The unique story of yerba maté in the Syrian beverage culture started at the beginning of the twentieth century when Syrian migrants returning from South America brought the beverage with them. The overall aim of our study is to understand yerba maté use among Syrians and its role as an essential part of the Syrian beverage culture. We compare yerba maté consumption on spatial, gender, and religious bases through semi –structured interviews with 50 respondents, with equal participation among genders, place of residence, and cultural –religious groups (Sunni, Alawite, Christian, Druze, and Ismaili). We found that the Alawite and Druze groups have the highest yerba maté consumption, and that men drink more than women. Yerba maté was the most preferred stimulant drink among participants, followed by coffee and tea, respectively. Interviews reveal social and cultural factors, perceived addiction, perceived pleasure, and perceived health properties as the drivers behind yerba maté consumption in Syria. Key Words: Ilex paraguariensis, Conflict area, Ethnobotany, Cultural migration, Stimulant plants, Beverages. ﺍ ﻷ ﻫ ﻤ ﻴ ﺔ ﺍ ﻻ ﺟ ﺘ ﻤ ﺎ ﻋ ﻴ ﺔ ﻭ ﺍ ﻟ ﺜ ﻘ ﺎ ﻓ ﻴ ﺔ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺏ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺘ ﺔ ﺑ ﻴ ﻦ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﻴ ﻦ ﻓ ﻲ ﺍ ﻟ ﺪ ﺍ ﺧ ﻞ ﻭ ﻓ ﻲ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﻬ ﺠ ﺮ ﺳ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﺎ ﻫ ﻲ ﺛ ﺎ ﻧ ﻲ ﺃ ﻛ ﺒ ﺮ ﻣ ﺴ ﺘ ﻮ ﺭ ﺩ ﻓ ﻲ ﺍ ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻢ ﻟ ﻸ ﻭ ﺭ ﺍ ﻕ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺠ ﻔ ّ ﻔ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ ﻧ ﺒ ﺘ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ َ ﺘ ّ ﺔ. ﺑ ﺪ ﺃ ﺕ ﺍ ﻟ ﻘ ﺼ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻔ ﺮ ﻳ ﺪ ﺓ ﻟ ﻠ ﻤ ﺘ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﺛ ﻘ ﺎ ﻓ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺑ ﺎ ﺕ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﺑ ﺪ ﺍ ﻳ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻘ ﺮ ﻥ ﺍ ﻟ ﻌ ﺸ ﺮ ﻳ ﻦ ﻋ ﻨ ﺪ ﻣ ﺎ ﺃ ﺣ ﻀ ﺮ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﻬ ﺎ ﺟ ﺮ ﻭ ﻥ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﻮ ﻥ ﺍ ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﺋ ﺪ ﻭ ﻥ ﻣ ﻦ ﺃ ﻣ ﺮ ﻳ ﻜ ﺎ ﺍ ﻟ ﺠ ﻨ ﻮ ﺑ ﻴ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺏَ ﻣ ﻌ ﻬ ﻢ. ﻳ ﻨ ﺼ ﺐّ ﺍ ﻻ ﻫ ﺘ ﻤ ﺎ ﻡ ﺍ ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻡ ﻓ ﻲ ﺩ ﺭ ﺍ ﺳ ﺘ ﻨ ﺎ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻓ ﻬ ﻢ ٍ ﺃ ﻋ ﻤ ﻖ ﻻ ﺳ ﺘ ﺨ ﺪ ﺍ ﻡ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺘ ﺔ ﺑ ﻴ ﻦ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﻴ ﻦ ﻭ ﺩ ﻭ ﺭ ﻫ ﺎ ﻛ ﺠ ﺰ ﺀٍ ﺃ ﺳ ﺎ ﺳ ﻲ ﻣ ﻦ ﺛ ﻘ ﺎ ﻓ ﺔ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺑ ﺎ ﺕ ﺍ ﻟ ﺴ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﺔ. ﻗ ﻤ ﻨ ﺎ ﻣ ﻦ ﺧ ﻼ ﻝ ﻫ ﺬ ﻩ ﺍ ﻟ ﺪ ﺭ ﺍ ﺳ ﺔ ﺑ ﻤ ﻘ ﺎ ﺭ ﻧ ﺔ ﺍ ﺳ ﺘ ﻬ ﻼ ﻙ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺘ ﺔ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺃ ُ ﺳ ﺲ ٍ ﻣ ﻜ ﺎ ﻧ ﻴ ﺔ ﻭ ﺟ ﻨ ﺪ ﺭ ﻳ ﺔ ﻭ ﺩ ﻳ ﻨ ﻴ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ ﺧ ﻼ ﻝ ﻣ ﻘ ﺎ ﺑ ﻼ ﺕ ﺷ ﺒ ﻪ ﻣ ﻨ ﻈ ّ ﻤ ﺔ ﻣ ﻊ ﺧ ﻤ ﺴ ﻴ ﻦ ﻣ ﺸ ﺎ ﺭ ﻛ ً ﺎ، ﻣ ﻊ ﻣ ﺸ ﺎ ﺭ ﻛ ﺔ ﻣ ﺘ ﺴ ﺎ ﻭ ﻳ ﺔ ﺑ ﻴ ﻦ ﺍ ﻟ ﺠ ﻨ ﺴ ﻴ ﻦ، ﻭ ﻣ ﻜ ﺎ ﻥ ﺍ ﻹ ﻗ ﺎ ﻣ ﺔ) ﺩ ﺍ ﺧ ﻞ ﺳ ﻮ ﺭ ﻳ ﺎ ﻭ ﺧ ﺎ ﺭ ﺟ ﻬ ﺎ( ، ﻭ ﻛ ﺬ ﻟ ﻚ ﺑ ﻴ ﻦ ﺧ ﻤ ﺲ ﺟ ﻤ ﺎ ﻋ ﺎ ﺕ ﺛ ﻘ ﺎ ﻓ ﻴّ ﺔ/ ﺩ ﻳ ﻨ ﻴّ ﺔ. ﻭ ﺟ ﺪ ﻧ ﺎ ﺃ ﻥ ﺑ ﻌ ﺾ ﻫ ﺬ ﻩ ﺍ ﻟ ﺠ ﻤ ﺎ ﻋ ﺎ ﺕ ﺗ ﺴ ﺘ ﻬ ﻠ ﻚ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺘ ﺔ ﺑ ﻨ ﺴ ﺒ ﺔٍ ﺃ ﻛ ﺒ ﺮ، ﺭ ﺑّ ﻤ ﺎ ﻳ ﻌ ﻮ ﺩ ﺫ ﻟ ﻚ ﻷ ﺳ ﺒ ﺎ ﺏ ٍ ﺗ ﺎ ﺭ ﻳ ﺨ ﻴّ ﺔ، ﺍ ﺟ ﺘ ﻤ ﺎ ﻋ ﻴّ ﺔ، ﻭ ﺛ ﻘ ﺎ ﻓ ﻴّ ﺔ ﻣ ﺮ ﻛ ّ ﺒ ﺔ. ﺃ ﻇ ﻬ ﺮ ﺕ ﺍ ﻟ ﻨ ﺘ ﺎ ﺋ ﺞ ﺃ ﻥ ﺍ ﻟ ﺮ ﺟ ﺎ ﻝ ﻳ ﺸ ﺮ ﺑ ﻮ ﻥ ﻫ ﺬ ﺍ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺏ ﺃ ﻛ ﺜ ﺮ ﻣ ﻦ ﺍ ﻟ ﻨ ﺴ ﺎ ﺀ، ﻛ ﻤ ﺎ ﺃ ﻇ ﻬ ﺮ ﺕ ﺃ ﻳ ﻀ ﺎ ً ﺃ ﻥ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺘ ّ ﺔ ﻫ ﻮ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺮ ﻭ ﺏ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﻨ ﺒ ﻪ ﺍ ﻷ ﻛ ﺜ ﺮ ﺗ ﻔ ﻀ ﻴ ﻼ ً ﺑ ﻴ ﻦ ﺍ ﻟ ﻤ ﺸ ﺎ ﺭ ﻛ ﻴ ﻦ، ﻳ ﻠ ﻴ ﻪ ﺍ ﻟ ﻘ ﻬ ﻮ ﺓ ﻭ ﺍ ﻟ ﺸ ﺎ ﻱ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺍ ﻟ ﺘ ﻮ ﺍ ﻟ ﻲ. ﺗ ﻜ ﺸ ﻒ ﺍ ﻟ ﺪ ﺭ ﺍ ﺳ ﺔ ﻋ ﻦ ﻋ ﺪ ﺓ ﻋ ﻮ ﺍ ﻣ ﻞ ﺩ ﺍ ﻓ ﻌ ﺔ 1 Received 24 January 2021; accepted 14 June 2021; Supplementary Information The online version con- tains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s12231-021-09523-6. © 2021, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A. published online 10 September 2021 Economic Botany, 75(2), 2021, pp. 97–111