The custom of drinking "mate"?!
The custom of drinking "mate"?
What is the origin of this tradition? How is it drunk? Where is this drink popular?
Answers:
I found this answer while perusing google, so I can't entirely take credit for it - but it certainly helped me out so I thought I'd pass it along!
Yerba mate ("tea of leaves") is the national drink of Uruguay and Argentina and very popular in other South American countries as well. Stroll through the streets of Montevideo or watch the cowboys riding on the Pampas and they all have a large cup with a straw (usually silver) tucked under their left arm. They sip from it continuously through the day -- which is probably why they can stay up half the night dancing the tango. They put a handful of leaves in the cup in the morning and keep adding hot water to them through the day. It is customary to share sips from your cup with someone who doesn't have theirs available. It tastes like a somewhat bitter tea, is very energizing, has high antioxidant and mineral content. I've heard that new drink Cocaine might contain mate. I believe there is also a new company in Boulder, Colorado that is producing mate drinks with a number of different flavors. P.S. You can stop at any gas station in Uruguay, for example, and find a huge hot water dispenser outside the building just in case you needed the most important fillup of the day. There's always long lines there.
Source(s):
http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/18/my-t...