Drinks
Mate
Ingredients
- - 50 g (1 cup, loosely packed) yerba mate
- - 500 ml (2 cups) hot water, not boiling (70-80°C / 160-175°F)
- - Sugar, to taste (optional)
Method
- Fill the mate gourd two-thirds full with yerba mate.
- Tilt the gourd so the yerba settles diagonally, with the empty side facing up.
- Pour a small amount of lukewarm water first into the empty side to let the yerba absorb moisture, then insert the bombilla into that side.
- Top up with hot (not boiling) water each time it's drunk down, without removing or disturbing the bombilla.
- Pass the gourd around the group, with each person drinking it fully before returning it to be refilled and passed to the next.
Introduction: Mate is a bitter, herbal infusion made from yerba mate leaves, sipped through a metal straw (bombilla) from a shared gourd.
Cultural Background: Mate is a bitter, herbal infusion made from yerba mate leaves, sipped through a metal straw (bombilla) from a shared gourd. Originating with the indigenous Guaraní people, it became a defining national ritual of Argentina, symbolising hospitality, routine and social connection more than any other beverage in the country.
Tips: Water that’s too hot will scorch the yerba and make the mate taste bitter and burnt. Never stir the bombilla around inside the gourd – it should stay in one fixed position.
Variations: Mate cocido: yerba mate brewed like tea and strained, drunk from a cup rather than a gourd, more common for children or on the go. Tereré: the cold-water version, popular in hot climates and northern regions.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Vegetarian: Naturally vegetarian and vegan. Vegan: Naturally vegan; no changes needed.
Storage: Store dry yerba mate in a sealed container away from moisture; prepared mate should be drunk fresh within the sitting.
Reheating: Not applicable – simply top up with fresh hot water as needed.
Nutrition: Per serving (unsweetened): 2 kcal, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate, 0 g fibre.
FAQs:
Q: Is mate the same as tea? A: No – it’s brewed and drunk differently, using a shared gourd and metal straw rather than steeping and pouring like tea.
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