Mate

What is Mate?

Mate is a hot drink made by soaking dried leaves of the yerba mate plant in hot water. The liquid is sipped through a metal straw, called a bombilla, which filters out the leaves. It is usually served in a hollowed gourd, but can also be found in cups made from wood or horn. The drink is greenish and slightly bitter, with a grassy aroma and a stimulating effect from its caffeine content.

Where does Mate come from?

Mate was first used by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples in what is now Paraguay, northeast Argentina, and southern Brazil. Spanish colonizers adopted the drink in the 16th century, spreading it through the Southern Cone. Jesuit missionaries later established plantations in Argentina. Over time, mate became a staple in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, and is now a symbol of national identity in several countries.

How is Mate made?

To prepare mate, a gourd is filled about halfway with dried yerba mate leaves. Hot water, not boiling, is poured over the leaves. A metal straw with a filter at the end, called a bombilla, is inserted into the gourd. The drinker sips the infusion through the straw, which keeps the leaves out of the mouth. The process can include shaking and tilting the gourd to settle the leaves and sometimes adding herbs for extra flavor.

How and when is Mate eaten?

Mate is usually shared among a group, with one person refilling the gourd and passing it around. It is common in daily life, at home, in parks, or at social gatherings. The drink is often enjoyed without sweeteners, though some add herbs or sugar. In some regions, it is also served cold, but the traditional version is hot.

Kinds of Mate

Regional versions include chimarrão in Brazil, which uses a finer grind of yerba mate, and mate cocido, where the leaves are steeped like tea and sometimes sold in tea bags. In Paraguay, herbs are often added for health or flavor. Iced mate is popular in parts of Brazil, especially at the beach.

What Mate means

Mate is deeply woven into the social fabric of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where it is the national drink. Sharing mate is a daily ritual and a sign of hospitality and friendship. Argentina marks National Mate Day on November 30. In Brazil, mate has inspired educational parks and is part of beach culture in Rio de Janeiro. The drink’s roots with the Guaraní people are widely recognized.

Questions people ask about Mate

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• More Than a Drink : Yerba Mate: Argentina's Cultural RiteLos Angeles Times, Article

• Mate (drink) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data