Mate, Argentina

January 2020

Mate is another big thing in Argentina.  Whether you’re walking down a city street, relaxing in a park or embarking on a hike, you’ll see locals clutching a mate cup in one hand and a thermos in the other.  This is the drink that never ends - the tea leaves are continuously topped up with the thermos.  But what happens when the thermos is empty I hear you say? Never fear! There are vending machines and street stalls designed solely for the purpose of topping up your thermos in exchange for a few pesos. I was excited to try this as the cups are very pretty, with ornate decoration, and the straw doubles up as a filter so you don’t suck up the tea leaves.  Sadly, I wasn’t a fan of the incredibly strong and bitter green tea taste, but it was fun to try it.

Where to try it?  The problem is, that because everyone owns a mate cup, and because it’s generally a social experience – a cup is passed around for everyone to sip from, it’s difficult to find in cafes, and often they just sell mate cocido which is a milder tasting infusion.  I actually found it in Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay (see ‘Uruguay’).