Mate is an infusion made with yerba mate leaves, a plant native to the basins of the rivers Paraná, Paraguay and the upper course of the Uruguay river. These previously dried, cut and ground plants form yerba mate. For this reason, there are people who sweeten mate a little with sugar, honey or another sweetener.
It is consumed in America since pre-Columbian times by some ethnic groups of Tupi-Guarani origin. It was quickly adopted by the Spanish colonizers and remained as part of the cultural heritage mainly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and also in areas of Southern Brazil, as well as south and east of Bolivia and Chile.
As it happens with tea, coffee or chocolate, mate has a stimulating effect due to the caffeine it contains. Traditionally, it is drunk hot with the help of una bombilla (a "stick", a type of sorbet) placed in a small pot, which is called ― according to the area ― "mate", "cuia", "porongo" or "guampa", which contains the infusion.
The expression "mate", comes from the word matí, which means calabaza - pumpkin (the little pot for drinking mate is usually made of pumpkin). The ancient Guarani peoples were the first to consume the leaves of yerba mate in various ways, drinking it with water and even chewing them.
The Spaniards observed that the Guarani of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil were fortified by mate for work and served as food if necessary. By 1714, its use had spread first to the rest of Argentina with Tarija which was part of those times, then to Upper Peru Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando. Then mate extended to Chile. The British in Chile saw that it also benefited blacks, they tried it and took it to London, where it was very well received. It was even thought to replace the traditional use of tea with this drink, since it was more profitable and even cheaper; but since the Jesuit missions of Paraguay were their only producer, and the tea trade brought them such good profits, the idea was discarded.
INTERESTING VOCABULARY
Matear
«Matear» means to drink mate in circle. It is a whole ceremony with specific «language of mate».
The phrase «un mate no se le niega a nadie» , mate is not denied by anyone, is very popular in Argentina and Uruguay.
Ensillar el mate
Ensillar el mate is the act of taking out a little of used yerba (not all) and adding a little of new yerba. With this, the mate keeps the flavor a little longer.
Mate del sonso
The initial mate that is first given to a person in a" circle of mate" is called "mate del sonso" (zonzo: 'tonto') as such mate is considered to be too strong and even without the proper taste or aroma. In Paraguay, when throwing the first used yerba in mate, it is common to say that it is reserved for Saint Thomas, referring to the phenomenon by which the yerba absorbs the initial water, as if some invisible spirit were consuming it (drinking it).
Dar gracias
In Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, southern Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, the cebador is not thanked for every mate. When a person says "thank you" at the time of returning the mate to a cebador, it means that he/she will no longer drink.
ALGUNOS TÉRMINOS
«Amargo»: unsweetened mate, by extension this term is occasionally used as a synonym for the action of matear; more common in few parts of Argentina, and especially in Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Although, "tomar unos amargos" only indicates drinking mate of the bitter type.
«Bostear y ensillar»: method used when the mate is washed; it refers, firstly, to taking out approximately 1/3 of the yerba already used and adding, then, new, so that the taste of mate comes back.
«Calabaza»: term used to designate a glass or a little pot in which the mate is served.
«Cebadura»: necessary yerba for filling the mate once.
«Cebar»: is the action of pouring water with the right temperature in the mate on the yerba.
«Lavado»: is a characteristic of mate, it refers to when the yerba loses the taste for having been used for a certain time or having been changed many times. For example: «Este mate está lavado» - This mate is washed.
Have you ever tried mate? Did you like the taste or it seemed quite bitter at first? Share in the comments!
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