The typical hot drink of the "Porteños" is the mate, St Bartholomew or Jesuit tea (Ilex paraguariensis). It is drunk in a hot infusion, with or without sugar. It is drunk the whole day round. It is a popular custom that was brought to the West's attention by the Jesuits who found local indigenous people consuming it in Paraguay and brought the custom to the port city culture of the Rio de la Plata inhabitants where it became popular from the mid XVIth century on.

It is similar to tea and is much used in Argentina as well as in Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil. It is drunk in family reunions, or with friends, at any time of day, alone or in company.

The word "mate" comes from the Quechua (Inca language) word "mati", which means gourd. The "mate" is the recipient for the traditional drink.

There are several types of mates: the traditional is made out of a cured gourd, but there are also porcelain ones and also those made of other materials. Some are made of wood, with a smooth surface, some with a wrought silver surface, some are lined with cows hide, and some have even the names of the owner or other drawings and landscapes engraved on the gourd surface.

As mentioned above the yerba mate is a South American plant (actually a small tree) and it is the dried (sometimes smoke dried) leaves that are use to prepare the drink. You can find different kinds of mate for sale, connoisseurs claim that the variety collected in the wild is the best quality, although most come from commercial plantations mainly in Paraguay and Uruguay. It is sold with or without sticks and you can buy pound bags or larger in supermarkets, grocery stores and other outlets.

To drink mate you will need a "bombilla", which is a kind of straw, with a rounded screen at the end that you introduce into the gourd. Bombillas come in different sizes, shapes, materials and designs; the most common ones are made of common metal, but there are also ones made out of silver.

The last ingredient is water, which is considered to be "a punto" just before boiling. If the water boils, the mate is useless because the leaves are burnt.

Cleaning and curing the mate gourd.
It is very important that the mate gourds are carefully cleaned and cured before using. They need to be cured to eliminate the pigmentation brought on by some of the woods used, which give a bad taste. It is also important to remove the soft inside of the gourds before using them. It is a very simple procedure and you can get indications on how to do so at the moment of purchase.

Preparation and priming of the mate gourd
1. Heat water to a point just before boiling. (If possible save it in thermos flask to keep it warm).

2. Fill the mate gourd up to ¾ with yerba mate.

3. Cover the opening with the flat of your hand and turn it over, giving it a soft rap on the base of the gourd in order for the fine yerba mate powder to gather at the surface.

4. Hold the mate gourd at an approximate angle of 45 degrees and introduce the bombilla all the way to the bottom.

5. If you like to sweeten it add sugar at the end of the bombilla where the screen is located.

6. Then slowly pour the water until it reaches the edge of the mate gourd. After a few seconds, the yerba mate will absorb the water and the level will go down.

7. Pour more water into the mate gourd until it reaches the top once more.

8. After following these simple steps the mate is ready to drink. When you have drunk the liquid, refill with water and so on successively. Depending on the quality of the yerba mate you can refill with water up to 30 times. When the yerba mate loses its taste throw it out and refill with new yerba mate.

The tradition of drinking mate is very much a domestic home affair. Thus it is not sold or served as a drink in public places. It is hard to find in restaurants and bars. If you have to opportunity to visit a family home and you are offered a mate, do not refuse it, at least drink a few drops to show your appreciation of the courtesy. And do not be afraid to see everyone drinking from the same mate gourd using the same bombilla, such is the custom.