According to our Argentine literature teacher Liria, these three components define a true Argentinian. Everyone knows what futbol is (you’ve probably have heard it called soccer in the States) and Truco is a card game mentioned in Olivero Girondo’s poem “Croquis en la Arena” that seems similar to the game Bullshit. But what I really want to talk about is mate.
Mate has a similar taste to green tea, but the process of preparing it and serving it much more complex. It’s a ritual. The drink is served in a gourde that is carved into a cup. The herbs are placed inside the gourde and then hot water is poured on top. One person (the cebador) is in charge of preparing and serving the mate.
Trying mate is not like trying a sip of someone’s latte in the States. In order to avoid seeming rude, when you “try it” you must leave the metal straw (bombilla) where it is and consume the entire cup. Por ejemplo, you should not take a small sip make a grossed-out face, and hand it back (which I may or may have not done the first time I tried mate). Also, don’t say gracias until you’ve gotten your fill of mate. Saying thank you means you don’t want another cup.
According to ISA director Guille the way mate is served to you can tell a lot about your relationship with the server. If the mate is sweet, the server thinks fondly of you. If your mate is too hot, you may want to rethink the relationship.
As Argentina is the world’s biggest producer of yerba mate, it is not uncommon the see people walking around with their Mate supplies in hand: to dinner parties, park picnics even when watching the Argentina vs. Canada futbol game in Plaza de Mayo. The school I go to here doesn’t have a soda dispenser, but it does have a soda dispenser-sized hot water dispenser for making mate. For some people the drink is too bitter and grass-like, but give it a taste and mate might just be your cup of tea.
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