Mates bought in the cities of El Chaltén and El Calafate
One Argentinean habit, as the culture of Tango, soccer and bife de chorizo among others, is to drink the “Yerba Mate” (Ilex paraguariensis). In the southern part of Brazil, this beverage is known as chimarrão, the typical beverage of the gaúchos. In Argentina, this beverage is also traditional to the gauchos, the Argentinean cowboys. However, the Mate’s history comes of a time prior to the Spanish and Portuguese colonization in South America, when the “mati” was a common beverage of the Guarani and Guaicuru people.
Several studies say the mate is benefic for health. It has B Complex Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and minerals such as Calcium, Manganese and Potassium. It combats free radicals, assists in the digestion and produces anti-rheumatic, diuretic and laxative effects. Moreover, it has caffeine and its stimulant effect resembles the coffee’s, increasing the attention and intellectual activities.
After one year living in Argentina, finally I decided to try the Yerba Mate. I took courage and I bought two small calabash gourds (called “mate” or “calabazas”), which already were exerting an attraction on me for its different formats and popularity (you can find these gourds on every Argentine city). Beyond serving as ornaments (and several other things), my intention was to use them to start drinking the yerba mate and, this way, to get deeper into the Argentine culture (the next step is to start dancing Tango - ha ha ha).
“Curado del Mate”
“Curado del mate” is the preparation process of the gourd when it has never been used. It consists in filling the gourd with moist yerba, preferably used, for 24 hours. After this period, you can remove the yerba and clean the gourd’s interior with a tea spoon, to remove the internal skin. Again, you need to introduce the moist yerba inside the gourd and leave it there for more 24 hours, cleaning its interior later. The objective of this process is to remove all the internal skin of the calabaza because it modifies the flavor of the infusion. If this process is done at least twice, the gourd is ready to be used (its interior must be blackened).
The Cerimony
Drinking the “Yerba Mate” can be a solitary activity, but usually it is done in groups of friends (called “rondas de mate”), a ceremony that has its proper language.
The (simplified) steps of this ceremony are:
- 1. Fill 3 parts of the gourd with Yerba Mate.
- 2. Cover the gourd’s mouth with the palm of the hand and turn it 180 degrees.
- 3. Shake it upside down, so the finest Yerba go down.
- 4. Unturn the gourd slowly, to leave a space free of Yerba, and insert the “bombilla” (straw) in this space.
- 5. Pour water between 140F and 160F (don’t use boiled water) slowly in the empty space until next to the edge. Small bubbles will form.
- 6. Drink the infusion, refilling the gourd with water whenever is necessary. Caution, some people say this beverage can cause addiction…
Mate’s Bombilla (straw)
sepphora | January 30, 2009 | 6:50 pm | General
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