What is mate drink in Argentina?

/ Buenos Aires

Drinking yerba mate is a very important social activity, similar to going to a café or making tea. In fact, the infusion of yerba mate is so popular that it is the national drink of Argentina and Paraguay.

While drinking yerba mate, people talk about what’s going on at home, in the family, in the neighborhood, in the city or town. 

It is also important to highlight mate as a shared drink. It is notorious that its influence in sharing with others is important, but it is also drunk alone. 

It accompanies the elderly when it is cold, the young when they study and to the workers of the land early in the morning. Mate not only unites but also accompanies. 

What is Yerba mate? 

Yerba mate is a tree native to the Paranaense rainforest, which in the wild can reach a height of 12 to 16 meters. 

What is mate? 🧉

In Argentina, we call mate to the infusion that is prepared with yerba mate leaves, as well as to the container where it is drunk, as you can see in the photo below.

What does mate taste like? 

The flavour of mate is similar to green tea, but a bit stronger and more bitter. Some people add lemon or orange peels into the pot with the yerba leaves. 

Some people add sugar or sweetener because they find it too strong or bitter. Others prefer coconut instead of sugar. 

You can also buy flavoured yerba mate leaves in packages per kilo, you can get these online on Amazon, for example. 

Personally, I used to drink sweet mate but once I started drinking it without sugar, I prefer it that way. And it’s also healthier since you are not consuming added sugar. 

What is the history of mate?

The origin of mate dates back to the Guarani people, who used the leaves of the tree as a drink, an object of worship and currency. 

During long journeys through the jungle, the Spanish conquistadors noticed that the Guarani people had greater resistance after drinking this sacred beverage.

Later the Jesuits introduced the crop in the reductions and contributed to its diffusion and commercialization, to the point that the infusion became known as Jesuit tea.

Where is yerba mate produced?

The crop is located in Misiones and northeastern Corrientes. In 2019, the production of ground and packaged yerba mate for the domestic market was almost 277,332,014 million kg.

Argentina is today the world’s leading producer and exporter of yerba mate.

How much mate do people drink in Argentina?

According to data from the National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM), Argentina consumes an average of 6.4 kg per inhabitant per year and yerba mate is present in more than 90% of households.

Where to buy yerba mate leaves? 

In Buenos Aires you can buy yerba mate leaves in any supermarket, here you’ll find a wide variety (flavoured yerba mate, strong or light, with herbs like mint or boldo) and in any small grocery store or health food stores. 

You can buy yerba mate leaves from abroad on Amazon and on Stockear.me which is an online shop specialised in Argentine products. You can find the shop here.   

They have a wide variety of brands, my favourite are: Amanda and  Playadito because they are lighter. Nobleza Gaucha is great if you like a stronger mate flavour, especially if you drink it without sugar.  

There is a tendency now to add other leaves to mate to make it lighter, or to add a different flavour.

How to add these herbs to mate? 

To enjoy these leaves, it is best to use leaves dried in the shade, as our grandmothers did, and keep them in jars or containers well closed and disinfected.

Another option is to buy them in health food stores, health food stores or herbalist stores. 

These are the most popular “yuyos” or medicinal herbs for mate: 

  • Pennyroyal: The flavor is strong and bitter. 
  • Peperina: Cordobeses and inhabitants of San Luis use to add peperina to their mates.  
  • Burrito: It is used for hot mate and tereré. Its minty flavor makes it ideal for summer, when it is hot and we need a refreshing touch. 

Mate VS Matecocido, what’s the difference?

Mate cocido is a typical Argentine infusion. It is prepared by boiling yerba mate in water, then it is strained and served in cups. 

Mate Cocido is a drink with a bitter taste similar to mate but milder, with the same stimulating and nutritional properties as mate. Yerba mate is also commercialised in tea bags, so that it can be prepared in the same way as tea. 

It can be sweetened with sugar or other sweeteners and milk can be added to the drink obtained. To prepare the mate cocido, you need one tablespoon of yerba for each 250 ml of boiling water (i.e. one spoon for each cup of tea approximately).

How do people drink mate? 

First, you heat water (without boiling) to keep in a thermal flask. Then put yerba in a port (also called mate), add sugar if you want a sweet mate. Pour the water then add the metal straw and enjoy!  

Watch this video with a step by step on how to prepare mate! 🧉

What is ‘tereré’?

The “tereré”, of Paraguayan origin, is an ancestral drink of the Guaraní indigenous culture that was recognized on November 17, 2020 as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

The preparation of tereré is carried out in accordance with an intimate ritual set out in a series of codes established by the aborigines.

Unesco also highlighted the health benefits of the “poha ñana”, which are known thanks to this popular wisdom passed down from generation to generation.

If you’d like to experience Argentine cuisine you can book this tour: Argentine gastronomic experience: empanadas preparation and tasting of meat, wine, alfajores and mate 

Start with a Malbec-based cocktail, then learn how to make wine-based cocktails under the guidance of a sommelier and mixologist (if you choose the mixology option). 

You can also learn how to make empanadas before enjoying authentic Argentine cuisine paired with four boutique wines. 

Finish by learning how to prepare ‘mate’ paired with alfajores. 

What does the tour include? 

  • Group of 10 people 
  • Argentine traditional dinner (vegetarian options are also available)
  • Unlimited boutique wines tasting
  • Make mate drink 
  • Alfajores 
  • Meeting point: Restaurant in Fitz Roy 2110, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 2.30 hs tour 

You can book your tour here: 

book here

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