Many students ask us what mate is. Here is a short introduction to the infusion and the custom of sharing it.
A tradition shared across the region
Mate is a caffeinated infusion prepared with the dried leaves of yerba mate. The tradition has deep Guaraní roots, and mate culture is shared across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil.
Argentina officially declared mate its “national infusion” in 2013. In Paraguay, tereré is a traditional cold-water preparation; this does not mean that Paraguayans drink mate only cold.
The drink and its vocabulary
- Mate names both the drink and the traditional container in which it is prepared.
- Yerba mate is the dried plant material used to make the infusion.
- A bombilla is a metal drinking straw.
- A pava is a kettle.
- A thermos is commonly used to carry hot water for refilling the mate.
Sharing mate
When mate is shared, one person acts as the cebador, preparing and refilling it. The same mate and bombilla are passed to each person in turn. Each person drinks the water and returns the mate to the cebador, who refills it for the next person.
This shared ritual is often part of spending time with friends and family.
Basic preparation
- Fill the mate roughly three-quarters full with yerba mate.
- Add hot, not boiling, water.
- Insert the bombilla.
- Drink through the bombilla and refill with hot water as needed.
Mate is naturally bitter. It may also be sweetened with sugar, depending on personal preference.