From South America to the World:
ALL ABOUT MATE
A drink or a ritual?
What is mate?
Mate or maté also known as chimarrão or cimarrón, is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink. It is
made by soaking dried leaves of the yerba mate plant in hot water and is served with a metal straw in a container
typically made from calabash gourd. The metal straw is known as a bombilla and is traditionally made of silver. The bombilla functions both as a
straw and as a sieve. The container the mate is served in is also known as mate. It is commonly made from calabash gourd but may also be made out of other materials.
Drink of friendship?
Indeed mate is considered a drink of friendship as it is usually consumed in public places and it is shared with
friends. In South America mate represents a social and cultural leant the same as tea and coffee are for Europe and
Asia.
There are even some rituals around mate drinking, especially in Argentina and Paraguay. For instance, in a circle of
friends and family, just one person has to assume the task of serving the others with the beverage. He or she fills the
mate and drinks it first to verify the quality of the beverage. It is considered rude to pass the mate with the first brew
to other persons because the drink can be either too cold or too hot. The person who assumed the role of the server is
the only responsible for passing around the mate.