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"Mate...is mate!"

Mate is an Argentine tradition mentioned in every travel book, but its true place in South American culture is a lot more complicated than the obligatory paragraph inserted in the Food & Drink section. Some come to Argentina expecting mate to be like the tea bags they are used to drinking at restaurants. Other expect to see mate cafes everywhere, with argentinos drinking the concoction in place of the coffees popular in Europe. Here's the real low-down on the myths of mate.

Officially known as yerba mate (yerba/hierba = herb in Spanish, mate = cup in Quechua), it has the consistency of loose-leaf tea with slightly larger cut leaves. The hollowed out gourds the brew is consumed in are also known as mates, and variations from dried gourds include small wood and metal vats. Argentines fill up the mate about three-quarters full with the loose leaves and then pour hot water (just before it boils) over the leaves. One drinks the "tea" through a bombilla — a small straw with a filter on the end, generally made from metal and sometimes wood. If drinking the tea in a group, the mate gourd is passed around to each person. After the last individual takes a sip, the mate is refilled with new water and another round ensues; the leaves can be used over and over.

The "tea" is very bitter; for first timers, the first round is almost impossible to get through. Make sure the water you use hasn't boiled or it will make the bitterness even worse — if your water does boil, throw in a little cold water. Start out with filling your gourd only half or even one third full of the tea until you get used to it. Every time water is poured over the leaves, the brew weakens a bit, making it a bit easier to swallow if you're not used to the taste. You can also buy flavored yerba mate mixes to help your tongue adjust, e.g. orange, lemon, grapefruit, mint, and endulceada (sweetened). Just like coffee, beer, etc., it is an acquired taste — don't mention that to a native Argentine though! A friend pointed this characteristic out to a local, to which he replied with great incredulity — "What? Never! Mate...is mate!"

Although it is extremely popular among argentinos, you will be hard-pressed to find mate served in any of the numerous cafes in Buenos Aires. Specialty coffees are just as popular in Argentina as Europe, including café con leche and café cortado. While mate does occasionally pop up on a menu, most of the time you'll see people carrying around a small thermos, mate gourd, and bombilla— they even sell little "mate kits" you can carry around during the day and the farther out of the city you get, the more you see people with their mate tools on hand. The brewing utensils are all quite cheap — you can find good gourds for as low as ARG$6-8, bombillas for $2, and a huge bag of the leafy tea for $2-3. If you're invited to afternoon mate or you decide to take part in the tradition at home, be sure you regularly clean out your mate gourd — left over leaves in the mate make for a smelly and moldy mess!

— By Jennifer Roglá