Why do Argentinians drink mate?
Mate is a popular drink in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and parts of Brazil. It is made by steeping dried leaves called yerba in hot water and is drunk from a gourd using a metal straw.
Mate has a long history in South American culture, dating back to indigenous groups like the Guarani, who used it for its medicinal benefits and in social gatherings. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they recognized mate’s cultural significance and incorporated it into their own traditions.
Today, drinking mate remains an important social custom across South America. Sharing mate with others represents friendship and hospitality. It’s a beloved daily ritual akin to drinking coffee or tea in other parts of the world.
Aside from its rich social role, mate also has various health benefits. It contains antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and can help boost energy levels. The caffeine in mate provides an alertness similar to coffee but without the jitters. It’s prepared using a special technique meant to perfectly infuse the dried leaves. Argentines consume mate both hot and cold depending on the weather.
Drinking mate is quintessentially Argentine. It transcends social classes and is enjoyed widely across the country. As writer Lalo Mir said, to Argentines, mate is so much more than just a beverage.
Mate as Argentina’s National Drink
What is the national drink of Argentina?
Mate is the national drink of Argentina. Mate has become a symbol of Argentine identity. Argentinians drink mate for breakfast or before sunset, hot or cold depending on the weather. More than a habit, getting together to matear forges emotional links between people and takes Argentinians back to their roots.
Mate is prepared by steeping dried leaves in hot water and drunk through a metal straw that acts as a sieve. Its flavor resembles green tea. Argentines consume 220 million kilograms of mate per year, roughly seven kilograms per person. Mate provides an energy boost due to its high caffeine content, which is linked to increased alertness, improved concentration and enhanced physical performance.
Mate means more than a popular drink in Argentina, it is a source of pride, an excuse to meet and a custom transmitted by family inheritance. “Shall we drink some mates?” is an invitation to chat, to continue the conversation. Mate represents sharing, it brings people together, and invites thinking and debating. It is beneficial for health, rich in antioxidants, helps reduce cholesterol and contains vitamins and minerals.
To Argentinians, mate is equivalent to coffee, black tea or matcha in other cultures – a beloved drink that delivers alertness without jitters. With its unique flavor and ritual, mate can’t be reduced to comparisons. It has a character wholly, deliciously its own.
What Exactly is Mate?
Mate is an evergreen shrub native to Paraguay, southern Brazil, and northeast Argentina. The leaves are dried and used to brew a hot drink called mate. It contains caffeine and is consumed in varying forms. Although preparations vary, mate drinking transcends borders. The culture of mate is a symbol of friendship. Mate is typically enjoyed communally, connecting everyone. On average, Argentines consume seven and a half kilograms of mate per person, per year. Argentinians usually drink it for breakfast or before sunset, hot or cold depending on the weather. As things evolve, mate has become increasingly common to drink from cans, bottles, and energy drinks, so it is more convenient to drink anytime. Sharing mate forges emotional links between people, taking Argentinians back to their roots.
Unlike coffee or tea, mate is nutritious, full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It contains mateine, a softer caffeine. Cold mate is served with hot water. In summer, lemonade replaces the water, called tereré, popular among children. Preparing mate has rules. First, fill the mate cup with yerba. Cover it completely with your hand and turn it twice. Put the bombilla in with the dry yerba and pour water near it until saturated.
Drinking mate is common in South America. Made from yerba mate herb, the bitter drink has an extensive history and customs surrounding its consumption. Most foreigners find mate bitter or unsavory, but Argentines adore it. Mate was shared among friends, an intimate experience bringing the group closer.
To Argentinians, mate is like coffee to Americans – their beloved, caffeine-rich national drink. Delivering alertness without jitters, mate is prepared with a ritual. It has a social function but a character wholly, deliciously its own. Mate is prepared by steeping dried leaves and twigs in hot but not boiling water.
The type of yerba mate depends on how it is harvested, processed and aged. Most yerba mate in America is from Argentina. Argentinian yerba mate is easiest to prepare, why it’s recommended for beginners. Aside from its flavor, mate is beneficial for your health – rich in antioxidants, helps reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and contains minerals and vitamins. Mate means much more than a popular drink in Argentina, it is a source of pride, an excuse to meet and a custom transmitted through families. Mate invites sharing, reduces distances between people, invites debate – it is the social drink.
How Argentines Prepare and Drink Mate
How do you drink mate in Argentina?
Mate is a tea-like drink popular in Argentina. The yerba comes from the tree ilex paraguarensis. The leaves and twigs are dried, chopped and ground into a powder. This powder is poured into a cup called a mate. Hot water is added and the tea is drunk through a metal straw with a filter, called a bombilla.
Drinking mate is a social activity in Argentina. Sharing the mate cup connects people. Mate is often drank in the late afternoon or early evening. It has a little caffeine, delivering alertness without jitters. It also has health benefits like antioxidants.
To prepare mate you need yerba mate powder and a mate cup and bombilla. Add the yerba to the cup and shake to form a hollow for the water. Insert bombilla filter straw. Pour hot water and sip. The bombilla strains the leaf particles. Refill the mate cup with hot water as you drink until flavor fades.
Drinking mate began with indigenous tribes like the Guayaki. Spanish colonizers spread mate drinking in the 1500s. By the 1600s it reached Argentina, where it remains most popular today. For a time Paraguay’s mate trade boomed. But wars disrupted production. Brazil now leads in mate harvesting.