Mate on St. Patrick's Day. I opened one of the bags of Yerba Mate that I bought in Buenos Aires. This was my first time fixing mate and my second time having it.
I've been asked what Mate (maté) is since mentioning to family and friends after my trip. It's a drink, most similar to a tea. You typically drink it from a gourd (but I bought a glass one so I didn't have to worry about curating the gourd) with a metal straw with a filter at the bottom (bombilla). The Yerba mate is like a tea- dried leaves that are steeped in hot but not boiling water.
I poured the Yerba mate into the cup, shifting the cut sideways so I could put the straw in. I then added a some cold water before adding hot water. The smell is almost like a cigarette ashtray and with it wet, looks like adobe or mud.
You typically drink it with friends or even strangers, taking turns drinking from the same gourd. Much like the Japanese Tea Ceremony, South Americans have some rules for sharing mate. You drink from the gourd until there is no water left, then the host fills it up and it's passed to the next person. This process continues until you are done, which is when you say "gracias" to the host- indicating you do not want any more.
I wasn't a fan of my first attempt. Next time I'm totally adding sugar. I should have bought the Mate book at the souvenir shop.
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