Yerba Mate: The Argentine Tea
Yerba Mate is a special tea from Argentina which, ironically, is never really referred to as “tea”. Anywhere you go in Argentina or Uruguay, you will find yerba mate. Teachers, students, professionals, businessman, bus drivers, etc. everyone always has mate. What’s more is that mate is not just for drinking, but much more…
You’ve probably heard of Yerba Mate by now, maybe from your favourite drive-by coffee place. It is now becoming popular in the states, but the only form I’ve seen it in here is in a tea bag, which is a very far cry from the original.
If you want to make original mate, get some loose “yerba” tea, a metal straw or “bombilla”, and a ceramic cup, gourd, or wooden mate.
Teas come in all flavors, colors and types, and yerba is just one of them. Argentina is known for growing quality yerba. Yerba is considered by many to be a very strong tea. It is often referred to as a smokey flavored tea. Stems of the plant are usually included in the bags of yerba.
In order to prepare a good mate, take your mate and put enough yerba so that the mate is 2/3 full. Then cover the mate with your hand and flip it over, give it a shake. This sifts the powder down and out of the yerba so you don’t eat it later. Next, you can pour some warm water over the yerba, just enough so that it absorbs the water. Then cover the end of your bombilla (the drinking end) and place it in the yerba at an angle.
Now it is time to add the hot water. Pour it onto the bombilla so that the yerba doesn’t get messed up. You should see the top of the yerba get frothy. When there are little bubbles, the mate is perfect for drinking. But keep in mind, mate isn’t something that people drink when they are thirsty, it’s meant to help people bond and relate to each other; to start conversation and inspire thought and communication.
Usually, mate is drank in a group. There is one server. This person makes the mate and starts to pass it around in a counter clockwise. When it is your turn to drink, you must drink it all before you hand it back. When you hand it back, it is then filled up and passed to the next person by the server. Each drinker usually finishes in a few minutes before passing it back. It is important not to say “thank you” unless you are done drinking, otherwise you won’t get anymore.
After drinking mate for a while, the yerba gets old and starts to float. This means that the yerba needs to be changed. Argentine people call this yerba “lavada” which means “washed”.
As I said earlier, drinking mate is more social that it is practical. It’s about taking time to listen to each other and relax and enjoy time with the people you care about. If you are ever in a situation where someone offers you mate, don’t refuse! You may not like the taste at first, but give it a chance, and not only will you learn to like it, but you will make some new friends in the process.
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