Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is the national drink of Uruguay. Uruguayans don't seem to go anywhere with out their thermoses full of hot water and their mate gourds brimming with yerba--be it to the beach, the park, or work. They even carry their set with them just walking around town.

 Mate is a plant in the holly family. The leaves, and sometimes the twigs, are harvested, dried, and chopped up. Mate is a very herbaceous "tea" and can be bitter if steeped in boiling water. Mate contains more caffeine than tea, but less than coffee.  To prepare mate you steep the leaves in hot (but not boiling) water.

Drinking mate is generally a social affair. A group of friends will gather and share a gourd of mate, refilling the mate gourd from the thermos of hot water. (That doesn't mean you won't find people taking a mate on their own.)

The gourds can be quite beautiful. The  silver straws that go in them often have intricate designs as well. The straws are quite different from a typical plastic straw. They are silver, with a small spoon shaped, sealed bottom that goes into the gourd. They look like a flat tea strainer.