The People's Tea
Is there a food or drink that is emblematic of your home country? Something consumed so often that it courses through the bodies of all your people? Well, in Uruguay, it is unquestionably mate (pronounced MAH-TEH); an earthy infusion of native holly leaves that is quotidian habit and sacred practice all in one.
"Kids usually start drinking mate around 15 or 16," says Gyde & Seek's Soledad, whose bombilla (a metal drinking straw with a perforated filter) was an anniversary gift from her husband, is engraved with their children's initials. "At first, it's purely a bonding thing. After all, mate is an acquired taste. But if a friend invites you to share their mate, it signals belonging. It's a way of saying, 'you're one of us now.' As adults, we appreciate the taste and the energy boost, of course—I can't start my morning without it—but it remains an intimate ritual, something you share with people who are close to you."
Where did drinking mate originate? "With the Guaraní," says Sole, referring to the region's indigenous population. "When the Spanish arrived, they contributed the straw and the fancy filtration mechanism. But the practice goes back centuries. I love that we still have this tradition, and that it's such an important part of our culture."
So how can you cultivate a mate ritual of your own? Fortunately, Sole loves discussing her favorite beverage almost as much as she loves consuming it. Bienvenidos a Yerba Mate 101:
First, you need a mate gourd and bombilla.
Next, you'll want some yerba. In Uruguay, there are aisles of grocery stores dedicated exclusively to the herb. Everyone has their favorite brand.
Once you've stocked up on supplies, fill a portable thermos with hot (but not boiling!) water, and fill your mate about three quarters of the way to the top with yerba.
Build a little yerba mountain on one side of the gourd so that the dry herb forms a slope. We call this the "montañita." It help will preserve the freshness of the yerba, ensuring that flavor is released gradually rather than all at once.
Add enough water to the "valley" side of the mate to cover the lower half of the mountain, allowing a few minutes for the yerba to absorb the water. After the yerba swells or blooms (bubbles are a good sign), insert your bombilla at an angle, nestling the filter into the bottom of the montañita. Do not stir!
Your mate is ready to drink! Add hot water, sip, repeat. Eventually, the mate will start to lose its taste, and you can reinsert your bombilla on the dry side of the montañita.
If you've invited friends to share your mate, then you have a mateada (a gathering of mate imbibers), and you, as the owner of the mate, are the designated cebador (mate server). Once you've consumed the first serving of mate, add more water to the gourd, and pass it to Friend A. When they've finished, usually after a few minutes, depending on how chatty they are, they will return the mate to you, so that you can refill it again and pass it to Friend B.
When everyone has been served, you simply start over, always preserving the original order. Participants can graciously decline additional servings with a simple "muchas gracias”.
