The Rules of Mate

Posted on 24. Jan, 2012 by in Advice, Destinations, On the Road, South America

If there’s one practice that sums up everything that sets Argentina apart culturally from Europe, it’s mate. While Argentinean culture takes a lot from the motherland- a love of coffee, gelato and pizza for starters, the consumption of mate (pronounced mah-tay) is uniquely South American.

What is mate?

I’d never heard of the stuff before I met Mike, but it’s inescapable here. Mate is essentially a hot, tea-like beverage made from the stems and leaves of a plant called yerba mate (link). The leaves contain caffeine and other natural stimulants and taste sort of like a very bitter green tea. I would say it’s an acquired taste.

What tea is to the British, mate is to Argentina, except maybe more so. Argentineans drink mate all day long, on their own but especially in social settings. Family gatherings, afternoon chats and friendly get togethers all revolve around the passing of mate. Couples take mate to the park for a romantic date. Even in Montanita, Ecuador we would often see groups of Argentineans sitting on the beach with thermoses of hot water, passing around a mate cup.

It’s a custom that traces it’s roots back to Pre-Colombian times. As with any tradition that has survived that long, there is a ritual to drinking mate, a set of unspoken customs and rules. To defy them will make you appear very rude, or at least clueless. So, to drink Mate like a proper Argentinean, here’s what you need to know:

 The Setup

Mate is served in a communal cup (you’re all friends here so stop worrying about pesky things like germs). The cup is actually a vegetable gourd (sometimes the outer casing is metal or plastic) which the owner conditions with their own combination of preparation and fruit juice to give it a distinct taste. You drink out of a silver straw with a filter at the end, called the bombilla.

The Ritual

Mate is a group activity. The participants sits in a circle and one person, the server or cebador, prepares the mate with hot water and in Buenos aires, sugar (they have a wicked sweet tooth). The gourd is then passed around the circle to the right, each drinker enjoying the mate before passing it back to the served to be re-brewed. This continues for ages and ages, or until you run out of hot water.

Mate & Música

photo credit: juanpol

The Rules

The biggest most important rule of mate drinking is DO NOT TOUCH THE BOMBILLA. It is considered very rude to re-adjust the straw or move it in any way.

When you are passed the mate, only touch the bombilla with your lips. Drink the mate until there is no more liquid, the straw will make a sucking, gurgling sound. The water will be very hot so there is no need to chug the drink, but don’t take too long to finish either. When you are finished pass the cup back to the server.

Argentineans can drink a LOT of mate. While I can’t even have a caffeinated soda after 5 pm, most people here have no problem drinking gallons of mate just before bed. If you’ve had enough, a simple thank you to the server should exempt you from further rounds. Even if you are not a huge fan, it is definitely more polite to at least have on serving when offered.

While it sounds complicated, drinking mate is a casual activity, so ingrained into everyday life that nobody thinks twice about it. Don’t stress too much and do find an opportunity to participate in one of Argentina’s most sacred rituals.

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15 Responses to “The Rules of Mate”

  1. Waegook Tom

    24. Jan, 2012

    I’ve never, ever heard nor read about this before Steph, not in a single post I’ve come across about Argentina – thanks for sharing! Actually sounds lip-smackingly good to me as I love green tea :)

    Reply to this comment

  2. Kat

    24. Jan, 2012

    Mate is awesome! Sugar isn’t always added in Bs As, though. According to my friend who used to live there, the sugar vs. no sugar actually tends to be a socioeconomic thing.

    Reply to this comment

    • antonela

      26. Jan, 2012

      Hey Kat! I’m from Argentina. “the sugar vs. no sugar” is a matter of taste.
      Also not everyone likes to drink mate, I actually do always.

      Reply to this comment

  3. Dayna

    24. Jan, 2012

    I love mate! I have yet to experience it culturally in Argentina, but my friend from South America brought some to a gathering and it was so interesting to learn about it! Thanks for the extra info, I loved it! Photos are great too.

    Reply to this comment

  4. Cori

    24. Jan, 2012

    I use to drink mate while doing homework/writing very long papers while in college. I bought the bombilla off of eBay and the tea from some online shop. I would use a very heavy and large ceramic cup I made. It is absolutely delicious and in my opinon tastes much better than other teas, which usually means I’m drinking 5+ cups in one sitting.

    This drink Interwines my love of culture and tea into one. Hope to drink it in South America one day.

    Glad someone covered this!

    Reply to this comment

  5. Andi of My Beautiful Adventures

    24. Jan, 2012

    When I’m in BsAs I’m a mate addict, loooove the stuff!

    Reply to this comment

  6. Katherina

    24. Jan, 2012

    I had mate in both Argentina and Uruguay… and found funny how the customs varied between both countries – In Uruguay, is common to find people in groups walking on the streets sharing mate and even work colleagues sharing one “boquilla” among maybe 7-8 people (yeah, I did that too). But then in Argentina I found it much less common to drink it on the streets while walking and it seemed to be something much more personal to each person (no so much of sharing among a big group!)

    Reply to this comment

  7. Hannah

    24. Jan, 2012

    I love learning about things I have never heard of before but which are commonplace elsewhere! How did you find out about not moving the bombilla? Were you pre-warned or did you learn the hard way? ;)

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      25. Jan, 2012

      One of the advantages of having an Argentine boyfriend is I got a mater lecture before we even got off the plane :)

      Reply to this comment

  8. Christine

    25. Jan, 2012

    I first tried it in a cafe in Colorado Springs and instantly fell in love with it! Can’t wait to actually go to South America and try the real stuff :)

    Reply to this comment

  9. Sam

    25. Jan, 2012

    I have never heard of this either, it sounds like a fun ritual. Although of I am not a coffee fan, if it is more on the green tea side then bring it on.

    Reply to this comment

  10. Cassie

    25. Jan, 2012

    I drink mate at home in in the US the way I drink loose leaf tea, filtered with a basket-style tea infuser (sans bombilla) so I’m glad to learn the proper etiquette!

    Reply to this comment

  11. Ashlee D.

    25. Jan, 2012

    Great post! I’ve always wanted to try mate but have never had the opportunity. I’ll have to see if I can order some between now and the day that I make it to Argentina!

    I stumbled across your blog and wanted to say how much I enjoy it!

    Reply to this comment

  12. Abhijit

    28. Jan, 2012

    I didn’t know about the exact traditions, but I had read about mate before in ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ (of course!)

    Reply to this comment

  13. TrueUruguay.com

    05. Feb, 2012

    Mate tea leaves are not Mate…Mate is a type of grass found in South America.

    I make sure to bring the good stuff back to the States everytime Im down South!! Whether sweet (dulce) or bitter (amargo) I love the stuff and I love the preparation and the traditional way to drink mate and to share mate!!

    Although in the States not many to share with except my Uruguayan boyfriend…LOL

    Reply to this comment

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