Mate is a very important part of Argentine culture, and I would recommend all visitors to Argentina try it at least once. Groups of friends gather in parks to share a mate, vendors at the weekend flea markets sip mate as tourists browse through their merchandise, and every Argentine home is stocked with at least one mate gourd and a container filled with the yerba. Coffee: The Internal Debate of a Confused Gringo in ArgentinaĪfter tasting mate and learning about its significance, I began realizing that mate is everywhere in Buenos Aires. While I’m not sure it’s something I could enjoy every day, I understand its appeal. Instead, I found it bitter but oddly refreshing. After hearing other foreigners decry the drink, I thought I would hate it. I made the mistake of forgetting where to point the bombilla when I first tried mate, but luckily my host was forgiving! The earliest known humans to consume it are from the Paraná or Misiones forest. When passing the mate around the group, everyone must remember to point the bombilla towards the recipient of the mate gourd. Other members of the group should be careful not to touch or move the bombilla when they receive the mate and instead should focus on consuming all of the liquid from the mate. The cebador or cebadora fills the gourd with yerba and water, and arranges the bombilla. When sharing mate with friends, several customs are important to remember. When the conquistadores arrived in Argentina, they called mate the “ hierba del demonio,” perhaps in acknowledgement of its stimulating, somewhat caffeine-like qualities. Mate consumption dates back to the pre-Colombian era in Argentina and parts of Paraguay and Uruguay, and the name “ mate” comes from the indigenous word for gourd. Special mate thermoses are sold throughout Argentina, labeled with “tapon cebador” to indicate that they have special caps specifically created to facilitate mate consumption.Īfter explaining the mate vocabulary, our host told us about its history and customs. The process of filling the mate gourd with water has its own verb: cebar, and the host, who refills the gourd between turns is called el cebador or la cebadora. There is an extensive vocabulary associated with mate: the herb is called yerba the vessel, traditionally made from a gourd, is called a mate and the metal straw is the bombilla. She revealed that mate is a drink shared among friends, and consuming it with others is considered an intimate experience that brings the group closer together. Our host explained the traditions surrounding the drink and gave us a lesson on how to properly enjoy the experience. The school hosted an after-class workshop on the beverage, and I was given the opportunity to try it with an Argentine host and a group of international classmates. I had my first experience with mate at Vamos Spanish Academy. Most foreigners find mate bitter, perhaps even unsavory, but Argentines adore it.

Made from a bitter herb, called yerba mate, the drink has an extensive history and a wealth of rituals and customs surrounding its consumption. Mate is an extremely popular beverage in Argentina. Argentina is internationally renowned for its beef, wine, and tango, but one Argentine delicacy many foreigners are unfamiliar with is mate.

Yerba mate drink tradition