Yerba Mate Guide – All you need to know

Mate is a huge part of daily life in Argentina. Everywhere you go you can see people slurping at their mate gourds, hugging a thermos. In their homes, at the office, walking along the streets, hanging out in parks; It’s a huge part of Argentine culture! Not only does this antioxidant-filled drink come with a long list of health benefits it also could be the secret behind how Argentineans are able to stay out until the sun comes up; As well as an array of vitamins and minerals, there is a lot of caffeine in yerba mate! Unlike solitary coffee or tea rituals, the mate is all about sharing! It’s a traditional social ritual and Argentineans take their mate seriously, so much so that there is even a national Yerba Mate institute and a mate festival every year in the Province of Misiones. To help you out, we've compiled a yerba mate guide to help you come to grips with this Argentine drink and ritual! [caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="540"] What the yerba mate bush looks like. / Source[/caption] Before we get started on the customs of drinking mate, here are a few useful terms, you’ll need to know to get by:

• Mate – the name of the drink in general, also refers to the mate gourds (the cup which the mate is served in)
• Bombilla – [pronounced bom-BE-Sha] The metal ‘straw’ that is used to sip the mate. (Does the job of a tea-bag, so you don’t end up chewing tea leaves)
• Yerba – the ground up leaves (yerba = herb) of the yerba mate tree, an evergreen plant, similar to the holly and grows in the subtropical forests of South America.  The loose tea comes in half or full kilo bags. Common brands are Nobleza Gaucha, Cruz de Malta, and Rosamonte.
• Termo – Flask or Thermos
• Lavado – Literally meaning ‘washed’, this is when the mate is spent. All the taste has gone.
• Cebador – the person who serves the mate

[caption id="attachment_475" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Complete Mate Kit / Source[/caption]

Preparing Mate

It is unlikely that as a visitor you’ll be asked to step in as the cebador, however it helps to understand the process and obviously if you want to start making your own mate at home. 1. Fill the mate gourd with yerba about two thirds full. The mate gourd, can be a dried gourd (the hollow dried out  shell of a calabash or squash like vegetables), a wooden or stainless steel cup, a horn or at times - and rarely and only really used by hard-core gauchos- a cow's or horse’s hoof! 2. Turn it over and shake it, with your hands covering the hole. You do this to get rid of some of the fine dust in the yerba (which will stick to your palm). Tilt the gourd slightly, so the yerba mate sits at an angle. 3. Pour a little cold, or luke warm water into the gourd for the yerba to soak up. 4. Put your thumb over the bombilla and place it in the mate. (roughly at a 45 degree angle) 5. Pour hot water, not boiling water (you don’t want to burn the tea leaves!), into the hole made by the bombilla. The water temperature is key to a good mate! The cebador always takes the first sip – testing it first – once the cold water has gone through, fill it up again and pass it on to the first person in the group. Once they have drunk it, they will pass it back to you, to fill it up again and pass on. Continue serving until the mate becomes lavado, literally washed and loses its taste and the tea starts to float. This might all sound a bit scary and a far too complicated way to enjoy a cup of tea! But trust us, it’s worth it and after a few serves and sips you’ll get the hang of it!  And hopefully, like many foreigners you’ll be hooked! [caption id="attachment_472" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Goes without saying that Argentina's National hero Che Guevara loved his mate! / Source[/caption]

Love it or hate!

Mate has a very strong, earthy and bitter flavour – much like the Argentinians other favourite drink Fernet. It’s an acquired taste; you either love it or hate it. Many tourists quickly acquaint themselves with the distinct flavour, sipping mate on their travels through Argentina, investing in a mate gourd, bombilla and kilos of yerba to take home. Oddly enough, what seems to happen to many a traveller, when returning home, is that the mate ritual somehow loses its magic away from Argentina and it just doesn't taste the same back home. So enjoy this staple part of the Argentine diet as much as you can on your vacation in Argentina.

Mates do's and don'ts:

Do’s

• Be fairly quick. No need to nurse it. The idea is to keep the mate gourd moving. Argentinians can get very impatient if you hog the mate gourd for too long. And don’t worry, before you know it, it’ll be your turn to sip again. • Compliment the cebador! • Share it! Whenever you prepare mate - and are surrounded by Argentinians - offer it around! • Give it a fair chance. The first sip for any newbie can be off-putting, it has an acquired taste. (Add sugar or honey if it’s too bitter for your liking) • Get the water at the right temperature - just before boiling. This is essential!

Don'ts

• Don’t call it tea! It’s mate. • Don’t stir the bombilla! You might give an Argentinian a heart attack if you even move the thing! • A common mistake for foreigners is to thank the person who hands you the mate. If you say “gracias” to the person in charge of the mate, it means ‘no thanks’ as if saying ‘I’m done, thanks’ •Don’t pass the mate around in the wrong order! Argentinians respect the order in which the mate gourd moves, round for round. So, enjoy! And remember to give this Argentinian national drink a fair chance. You’ll learn to love its taste and the beautiful ritual it involves. [caption id="attachment_473" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Yerba Mate - All you need to know / source: Daytours4u[/caption] And for those travellers who as yet have not been offered a mate by a local and before investing in the equipment required, want to have a go - rather unusually there are a few restaurants and cafés in Buenos Aires which offer mate:

Las Cholas (Las Cañitas), Las Cabras (Palermo), Cumaná (Recoelta) and La Cholita (Recoleta) are all part of a chain of tasty, low-key Parrillas, where you can order mate off the menu.

See restaurants and cafés in Buenos Aires which offer mate: in a bigger size

However a mate is best enjoyed, accompanied by facturas(pastries) such as delicious medialunas (croissants) in the afternoon and it’s a great pick-me-up if you’re running on low batteries mid-day.

Remember to keep up to date with our blog on tips and info on where and when to travel to Argentina and have a look at our site Argentina4u.com with a selection of the best destinations, tours and activities in Argentina.