Mate

Mate is a culture, not a tea. It is used as means of inclusion, of creating companionship. It is ingrained in the culture, and when you are invited to participate, it is a sign of acceptance. On Sunday I came to fully appreciate the extent of the habit, or more aptly, the ritual. Let me first explain the process of making mate:The first step is cleaning the mate, as the container is called. It is made of wood, or other material, and is shaped like a small urn, with thick sides.


The yerba (pronounced ‘sherba’, the herbs that the tea is made of)


is poured into the container at an angle, and a little cold water added at the low point. The water is heated (90°, never boiling) and poured into a flask. The bombilla is inserted into the yerba at the low point,  straight up against the edge. Only then the water is poured from the flask, against the stem of the bombilla, to run down under the yerba, until the water just appears at the top through the herbs, frothing a little. The leaves are never completely covered and remain dry on the higher side.


The person to make the mate always drinks first, as initially it is very strong and bitter. Drinking involves sucking on the bombilla, about three small sips, until there is a gurgling sound, indicating that the container is empty. It is refilled with water from the flask, not moving the bombilla, and passed on to the next person who sucks until the gurgling sound is heard. If one is using a litre flask, then halfway through the bombilla is removed and inserted at the other side of the mate, where the yerba is still dry, and the process continues.  Mate is drunk immediately after pouring in the water, it doesn’t have to draw.

Back to Sunday…  Ale spoke about a traditional band that was performing in Santa Fe, so we took the local bus and spent the afternoon and evening there. The band performed outside a cultural training and art centre, which is housed in a converted old mill, I gathered. I was impressed by all the little kids that had been brought there, and many of the exhibitions were interactive – none of the ‘don’t touch’ type. They were loving it!

The band was good, the instruments being used mostly traditional, and the performance unconventioal, mostly to entertain the children.And then of course the eye-opener for me:  half of the people there were carrying flasks and mate, drinking and sharing all the time.  That is how it is done here, be it outdoor entertainment, markets or indoor festivals, where people gather, they carry their mate. Some have smart carry bags, some have  loose bags, others just carry it in their hands. A sneak photo…


We walked down one of the main streets of Santa Fe which has a pedestrian walkway in the middle, and discovered a beautifully restored manor house.


Further down we went into the station building, which now is used as entertainment arena, as trains no longer run to Santa Fe. We stumbled upon a huge festival, celebrating the diverse cultures that make up the Argentinian people. People were seated to watch the various folk dances,

and next door was an area ás big with

food stalls from the different countries. We settled for pizza and beer, enjoying the ambience (and watching mate being shared…)


Later we carried on down to the river where a brightly lit old bridge invited the classic picture:


And then it was homeward bound, walking a good couple of blocks (like twenty) to a point where we thought we could catch a bus. Much to our dismay, the bus came from a different street and we had to cross over and run – two blocks of full speed running for this old woman!! I made it just in time (of course Ale is 20-something and was way ahead of me) and collapsed into a seat, shaking with laughter and exhaustion.  Life never ceases to be exciting!