Mate Revealed

While in BA we’ve had the honor of partaking in a Mate experience.  Drinking mate is part of Argentine culture and all ages and classes of people carry the ritual out daily.  Walking the streets of BA it’s hard to go more than a few minutes without spotting a gourd (mate cup) being shared with friends, family, or co-workers in the park, on the street, in their vehicles, or at the workplace. 

Gt and Leticia preparing the mate

Our Spanish teacher invited us to partake in this elaborate ritual in the park outside the National library and she was very explicit about the rules.  Yerba mate is a dry, chopped leaf of the llexparaguayensis, the common holly.  It is served from one cup called a gourd.  The yerba is placed in the bottom and hot, but not boiling, water fills the gourd.  Without stirring, the gourd is passed counterclockwise where the person is to sip the entire contents of the cup through a bombilla (straw).

When finished the gourd is passed back to the cebador (server) who refills it and hands it to the next person.  When you’ve had enough you simply say ‘Gracias’ and the gourd will not be passed to you again.Our ritual lasted only 15’ but I think Argentines can sit for hours laughing, talking, and drinking.