Maté drinking, a hot infusion of Ilex paraguayensis commonly drunk in parts of South America, has been associated with increased risks of upper digestive cancers. In a population-based survey, we have studied the patterns of maté drinking in a sample of 1400 adults living in a southern Brazilian city. Approximately one third of the population drank maté less than once a month or not at all; another third drank maté at least once a month, but less than once a day; while the remaining third drank maté daily. Daily drinking was most common among individuals aged under 60, those who migrated from rural areas, and among cigarette smokers. Drinkers ingested on average about 1800 ml/day at a mean temperature of 69.5 degrees C. Individuals who had never attended school tended to ingest larger quantities. The temperature of the drink was higher for males and for drinkers of alcoholic beverages. This information may contribute to the design of preventive interventions, since a large proportion of upper digestive cancer cases in those regions might be due to maté drinking.