Mate [mah-tay]

If ever you travel to Argentina and you are fortunate enough to hook up with some of the local people, you will be tortured (in a good sense) into trying mate. And, to be fair, to the untrained palate, it is a pretty shocking experience as it is bitter and hot. Your initial response will inevitably bring out lots of laughter and jeers from your torturers and then you'll be given a second go. And, if like me, you are persistent enough, you will come to love this beverage, not only as a drink but as a social tool.
"La hora de tomar mate" (the time to drink mate) is nothing more than an excellent excuse to chill out, chat, laugh, complain while drinking mate.
So what is mate and how is it prepared? Well, it's a herb (yerba) that is placed into a vessel (a mate gourd traditionally although there are many variations today) onto which is poured hot water (anywhere between 70°C to 85°C - never boiling water) and drunk from a metal straw called a bombilla [bom-bee-sha]. The water is poured near the bombilla without wetting all the yerba in one go (in that way, the mate retains its strength for a longer period of time). The person doing the pouring is called the cevador or server and generally drinks first. Thereafter, the mate is filled with water again and passed onto the next person who then drinks it down and returns it to the cevador. Once you are done drinking you are not expected to thank the cevador, as saying "gracias" is a signal that you no longer want to continue drinking.
Mate culture is rich in etiquette and folklore and most Argentine people will willingly teach you any and all of these traditions.
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