¿Mateamos? (Shall we share some mates?)
Mate is not only a beverage it is also part of a ritual with its own codes and language. To become an expert about mate, and to be part of this ritual you better know its language. Here are some explanations on usefull terms and phrases.
Mate (infusion): You can drink the infusion in different ways:
Mate amargo o cimarrón: bitter mate, drank with a metal straw from a shared hollow calabash gourd with hot water and without sugar.
Mate dulce: Sugar or honey are sometimes added if desired, creating a sweet mate. For this mate you use a different guard, it is considered bad for the gourd (especially for the natural (calabash or wood) ones) to be used for mate dulce.
Mate cocido: the yerba mate is homemade, by cooking the yerba mate in hot water, filtered and Drank in a cup, not a guard.
Tereré, mate drank with cold water. It is common in northeastern Argentina, but mainly in Paraguay where the temperaturas are very high, and the this drink is used to refresh the body. It is not absolutely necesary to drink it in a calabash guard, many times is drank in a normal cup or glass.
What do we need to drink a mate?
Mate (container): The Mate is a beberage but it is also a word to designate the container itself...Gourds in which you drink mate with a metal straw (bombilla). The mate container can be made from different materials. The most usual is from calabash.
Bombilla:The bombilla acts as both a straw and a sieve, used to drink mate from the guard. The submerged end is flared, with small holes or slots that allow the brewed liquid in, but block the twigs of the yerba mate.
Pava: Argentine word for kettle. The difference between a pava and a regular kettle is that the spout conteiner is made specially to pour the water in a thin string to the mate.
Termo: thermos to keep the temperature of the water.
Yerba Mate: (botanical word: Ilex paraguariensis) is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. When the yerba is harvested, the branches are dried sometimes with a wood fire. There are many brands and types of yerba, depending on the amount of twigs/ stick (palo) or powder content (polvo). Some types are less strong in flavor (suave, "soft") and there are blends flavored with mint, orange or grapefruit skin...
Insider´s expressions:
Mate lavado: literally means “washed up”, when there is no flavor left in the infusion. You may know it is lavado when you see the twigs flotting in the water.
Mate tapado: when the beberage clogs and through the metal straw (bombilla) you are not able to drink it. If this happens hand it to the cebador and ask him/her to handle it. You must never move the bombilla.
Yerba rendidora/Aguantadora: name given to the yerba mate that may be used for a large amount of mates keeping its properties and taste without change.
Yerbera y azucarera: containers to carry yerba mate and sugar tu prepare the beberage.
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