How to drink mate
Mate (mah-tay) is one of those things everyone has to try when visiting Argentina. It's a traditional drink, that my Spanish teacher says is a communal activity - you have friends over, and pour some water, a friend drinks some, you pour some more water and give the cup to the next person, etc. (sort of a personal hygiene nightmare for me, but that's just me)
I went to the same restaurant as where I had the casuela and lobo picante empanada, Cumana. Apparently, only restaurants serving food typical of the north will serve mate. They bring it out with a kettle, a cup, and a straw (the long metal thing). I also got mine with biscochitos, small savory crackers that are a traditional accompaniment.
I had no idea what to do, so I asked a waiter to show me! First, you stick your straw firmly into the leaves. Basically, the cup is filled with chopped up yerba mate leaves and stems (a wikipedia search shows that it's in the family of the holly). See how the straw has a wide end with holes in it - that's to prevent the bits from being drunk up.
Then add some sugar.
Then add water. The part of the cup that holds the leaves is actually really small, maybe only 4-5 tablespoons. So not a lot of water goes in before it fills up.
Then you sip using the straw (it has a regular hole on the other end of the perforated side). I really enjoyed it, but that's probably because I enjoy a lot of "green" flavors like cucumber, wheatgrass, green tea, etc. It's a bit bitter, but I like that too. I'm glad I went to a restaurant to try it, since I've heard people who've had it and they get the little bits in their mouths. But I guess one is supposed to have it with others. It was interesting to look around the restaurant and there were quite a few tables with groups or pairs of people sharing one cup. It's not just for tourists apparently!
