I sit on my computer to write this post with my mate [pronounced MAH-teh]. Oh, boy! This is something! I like to think of it the way British and Australians use the word mate. It’s my loyal friend, my warm, silent companion.

If I only had to choose one thing to represent Argentina, it would definitely be mate. I’m crazy about it. I drink mate every single day of the week when I get up. The mate ritual makes my day. It’s honestly all I need to have a good (start of the) day.

If you visit Argentina, it won’t take long until you see a local drinking mate, and if you happen to make Argentinian friends, you’ll certainly share a mate round with them.

Have you had the opportunity to try Argentinian mate yet? Do you even know what it is exactly?

I’ll tell you.

What is MATE?

Mate is an infusion made with yerba mate, a plant indigenous to the northeast area of present day Argentina, south of Brazil, as well as Uruguay and Paraguay. This species had long been popular among Guarani peoples, who inhabited this area.

The plant looks like this in case you are curious:

In the Guaraní language, yerba mate is called ‘caá yari’, but the word mate does come from the Guaraní word ‘mati,’ gourd. The gourd is dried and hollowed-out, and used as drinking vessel.

These gorgeous green leaves are harvested and dried and then grinded. Then they are packed in 500 grs or 1 kg packages, ready to use. By the time you sit to drink a mate they look like this:

That’s why when we list out the essentials to prepare mate we mention:

• yerba
• mate
• bombilla (metal straw)
• agua caliente

How does it taste like?

Although the yerba mate leaves are dried, by default the infusion still tastes leafy and bitter.

However, sometimes I want to drink it plain, and sometimes I prefer to drink it with a spoonful of honey. Some people use sugar, and others use sweetener.

Mateine

Just like coffee has caffeine, mate comes with mateine. So, yes, mate may have similar effects to that of a cup of coffee and can be as addictive.

Don’t forget that Mate is also an important part of the Uruguayan culture.

La leyenda de la yerba mate

Paka Paka is a national TV channel which creates content for kids. In this episode they tell the story of yerba mate.

I didn’t know about the existance of this great website called MATE EXPERIENCE. Make sure you check it out for more info.

And if you have any other questions regarding the mate tradition, just hit me up.

Happy mate drinking,

Until next time,

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