About
Mate is Argentina's national drink and social ritual — a bitter, energising infusion of dried yerba mate leaves drunk from a hollowed gourd through a metal straw (bombilla). Sharing mate is a profound act of friendship and belonging: the same gourd is passed continuously around a circle, each person drinking until the gourd is dry before returning it to the server. Argentines carry their mate thermos everywhere — on buses, at work, in parks. Refusing to share mate is considered socially awkward.