Hot and Bitter. No – that is not a description of the weather (although it is warmer than expected) and the
feelings of locals towards ‘turistas’ – that is the ‘proper’ way to have your
Mate.
Mate is a drink enjoyed by not every single person in South America, but certainly enough of them. You see
people every day with their thermos of hot water tucked under one arm, and one
hand holding a rather large mug. They are going to work, out for a meander on
the Rambla, watching the sunset, or just sitting with friends playing checkers.
Some are just trying to wake up after a late night partying….
 |
| Just waiting for the mate to kick in... |
The mug is filled with Yerbe Mate – a herb concoction that
looks like tea leaves. The Yerba mate is packed down into the mug and formed at
the top into a ball. Starting at one side they pour hot water into the
herb-ball, stick a fancy silver straw down to the bottom, and drink. Once the
drink becomes weaker and needs a ‘kick’ they break down the mound, and start
over again on the other side. Each mound of Yerba mate uses about 2 full
thermos of hot water. Although most people carry a regular Coleman-style
thermos with a black ceramic mug, there are other mugs available as well – like
the one made out of a cow hoof, and (of course) the mini-mate-mug seen below.
 |
| Mega-mate Mug - only for rednecks |
 |
| Mini-Mate, anyone? |
Apparently you can tell what country people are from by how
they like their mate. Some like it with sugar, some like it cold, and there are
all sorts of variations in between. If you are a true Uruguayan – you like it
hot, and bitter. Somewhat like coffee, it is a stimulant – with mateine
instead of caffeine (which, we were told, is healthier for you than
caffeine).
The industry is unregulated,
though, and apparently some mate will leave you shaking (literally).
 |
| Beach-Mate |
Some of the other interesting tidbits include the fact
that mate is for sharing – they just pass around the mug and everyone uses the
same silver straw. I’m not sure what travel website they visit, but (if
offered), I would probably want to use my own straw. The other thing is that
mate is not commercialized. You can’t go to Starbucks (if there was one here)
and ask for a mate, and I did not see any mate-flavoured ice-cream in the
grocery stores. In an age where everything seems to be commercialized – this is
perhaps a niche that someone needs to take advantage of.
 |
| Good Night from Punta |
