What is Argentine tea in Argentina?
Consumption rises up to 14 pounds a year per capita. It is ingested in 90% of the country’s households and more than a pound is included monthly in the basic food basket. Mate is the most important symbol of Argentinian identity, with 38% of the people agreeing.
This Argentine drink was first cultivated by the Guaraní and Tupí people in Paraguay. The Guaraní named it “ka’a,” which means “herb”. In Argentina, people drink it at home, at work, with family or friends. The mate is prepared according to tradition, following different steps and techniques in order to obtain the perfect mate.
Drinking this beverage is as common in South America as drinking coffee and tea elsewhere. It contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has mateine, a softer version of caffeine. During summer or hot weather the water is replaced by lemonade. Then it’s called tereré which is popular among children.
"Shall we drink some mates?" is an invitation to chat, to meet. Mate represents sharing, it invites to think, to debate, it is the social drink. You can buy a mate anywhere.
Mate is consumed everywhere in Argentina and enhances belonging. Mate joins working, studying, reading but the meaning is to share it with friends, family, everyone is invited!
This drink provides an energy boost due to caffeine, which means increased alertness, improved concentration and enhanced physical performance. It is THE national drink in Argentina, consumed as part of a ceremony. After brewing, it resembles the flavor of green tea.
What is another name for this tea?
This plant’s leaves are used to make a popular caffeinated drink. The indigenous Guaraní people called this plant "ka’a", meaning "herb". In Portuguese it’s called "congonga", meaning "what keeps us alive".
Argentina produces 290 million kilograms per year, mostly in Misiones province. Surprisingly, Syria and Lebanon import 75% of exported mate. Over 22,000 tons are exported yearly to Syria. Syrians’ love for it began when they immigrated to Argentina in the 1850s.
On average, Argentines consume seven kilograms per person annually. It is consumed in 90% of households. Argentines usually drink it in the mornings or at sunset, hot or cold depending on weather.
Sharing connects people. One person serves as host, preparing and serving from a gourd using a straw. The gourd circulates clockwise in a circle.
What is the national drink of Argentina?
It is the national drink of Argentina. Argentinians usually drink it for breakfast or before sunset, hot or cold. Sharing forges links between people. Argentina exports 22,000 tons yearly to Syria.
It is a caffeine-rich infused drink made from dried leaves called yerba mixed with hot water. The bombilla acts as a sieve. Argentina produced 290 million kilograms in 2017. Over 90% is produced in Misiones province.
In Argentina, drinking means much more than ingesting a drink. It is an excuse to meet and chat. It brings people together. It has health benefits like antioxidants, lowered cholesterol, and vitamins.
Argentina has the world’s highest consumption per person. Misiones and Corrientes provinces dominate production. The plant is native to northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It provides an energy boost due to caffeine.
It is traditionally drunk from a gourd using a metal straw. After brewing, it resembles green tea in flavor. The word "mate" comes from Middle Low German and Dutch, meaning friend or partner.
In Argentina it is shared among friends, family and colleagues. It is consumed as part of a ceremony. The person preparing drinks the first cup.
What is the name of the tea that people drink in Argentina?
Argentine tea, also known as “this drink,” is a traditional beverage derived from the leaves of the indigenous plant. The process of preparing and sharing has specific rituals and customs passed down through generations. It offers a bold, earthy taste, both invigorating and comforting. It is often enjoyed hot, served in a traditional gourd called a “mate,” and sipped through a metal straw known as a “bombilla.”
Argentina is the world’s ninth-largest tea producer with production concentrated in the Misiones and Corrientes provinces. Exports total about 50 million kilograms annually.
It is central to every Argentine social event. People drink it in the morning and evening, take it to work, and even walk through parks with it.
Mate’s history centers around the Misiones province in northern Argentina where the plant is grown and harvested to produce the dried tea leaves.
Mate is served in a hollow gourd and drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla. People drink it throughout the day with family, colleagues and friends.