Mate is a tea-like drink made from dried yerba mate leaves and served in a gourd. You fill the gourd partway with the leaves, pour hot water over it, and then put in the bombilla. The bombilla is the metal straw that has a sieve-like apparatus at the bottom, allowing only the water to come through. The gourd itself it also called a mate.Sound simple? Think again! This is a time-honored custom with infinite nuances
and preferred ways of serving the mate. First off, you have to decide what kind of mate you want to buy. Traditional gourd or wooden variety? They say the gourd is better to absorb the flavors but the wooden one is easier to take care of. After purchasing it you have to cure your mate, which usually involves putting the yerba mate leaves in warm water and letting it sit overnight. It is now ready for use!The key to drinking mate is that it is always done in a group (that is, unless you have an intense mate craving and have to give in to drinking solo!). Usually the person who suggests the mate drinking session is the one who will be the cebador, the person in charge of preparing the mate
and acting as the server throughout. The cebador heats the water, making sure it doesn't boil (mate experts will tell you the temperature should be between 70-80 degrees Celsius). The cebador then fills the mate about 2/3 of the way with yerba, places a hand on top of the mate and shakes it upside down, causing the finer particles to come to the top so that they won't clog the bombilla. Depending on personal preference, the cebador either fills the mate with water and then puts in the bombilla or does so before adding the water (I don't think it really makes a difference, but I wouldn't tell a mate expert that!).Phew, finally it's time to drink the mate, which also has its codes of conduct. The cebador rules the game, and he or she will take the first drink of the mate to make sure it's of good quality. Often a bit of sugar is added to the concoction. The cebador then refills the mate and passes it to the next person, who drinks it all and passes it back to the cebador. The cebador then passes it to the next person in the circle or group. Make sure not to say thank you because that indicates that you don't want anymore! And nobody wants to make a mate party foul
If you take too long during your turn you might hear, "El mate no es un micrófono" (the mate isn't a microphone). So hurry it up! When the cebador notes that the mate is washed, meaning it doesn't have an adequate amount of flavor, he or she will change the yerba leaves and restart the process. This continues until the cebador decides that the "mate drinking session" is over, which could be anywhere from about 20 minutes to a few hours. So sit back and enjoy!In my opinion, the actual taste of mate is good but nothing spectacular (one might even call it an aquired taste!). It's the custom that deserves all the praise and is a great way of uniting people and initiating conversations. Argentinians drink mate all the time and in any place: in the park, at work, at home, in the car, at the bank, etc. The best way to make Argentinian friends is by expressing your love for mate! Hopefully we can have some good mate drinking sessions back in Minneapolis.
(Actual update of my life in Mendoza forthcoming...stay tuned!)
