Mate (pronounced mah-teh) is an herbal, caffeneited drink that almost everyone in Argentina drinks. The parts of mate include: yerba(herbs/tea), mate(cup), and bombilla(straw).
I learned about the tradition of how to prepare mate.
1. Fill the mate cup 3/4 of the way with yerba
2. Place your hand over the cup, flip it upside down and shake to mix it up
3. shake the mate cup to make the yerba diagnol in the cup
4. On the shorter side of the yerba, add a little bit of hot water and allow the herbs to soak it up before placing the straw in and moving it carefully under the yerba
5. Add hot water mostly to the top and drink!
The tradition of mate is so much more than just a drink. It is a time for community, a sign of adulthood and simply put, a way to welcome someone either into your home or your friends/family.
Yerba mate is connected to the environment through the way of the climate. The yerba mate plant is native to the subtropical climate of South America. They need hot, humid climates with lots of rainfall to survive.
