Mate (say MAH-tay) is the everyday drink of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, and this week it made the news twice. Here’s what it is, what it tastes like and how to make your first one at home.
Why everyone’s asking about mate
On Saturday 7 November, at a fan event at Interlagos before qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, Argentine driver Franco Colapinto prepared a mate for Lewis Hamilton, who took a sip in front of the crowd (reported by Infobae and La Capital, both in Spanish). A week earlier, at the Mexican Grand Prix, Colapinto had shown him how to prepare one (Infobae). Colapinto is known in the paddock for always having his mate with him (Formula1.com).
On the same day, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in South America, in Paysandú, Uruguay, before an estimated 40,000 people, and spoke about mate in his homily. In the Associated Press’s English translation, he said: “It teaches us to share and to be together, strengthening the bonds that unite us as brothers and sisters.” He continued: “It is a sign of welcome, integration and shared values.” (AP, via PBS NewsHour)
What is mate?
Mate is an infusion made from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), the dried, chopped leaves of a South American holly. It is drunk every day across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil: at home, at work, in the park and on long journeys.
The word also means the cup it is drunk from, traditionally a hollowed-out gourd. You sip it through a bombilla, a metal straw with a filter at the bottom that keeps the leaves out.
Mate is made for sharing. In a group, one person, the cebador, prepares it, refills it with hot water and passes it to each person in turn. You drink it all, hand it back, and the next person gets a refill. Saying “gracias” means you’ve had enough.
For more on its history and the different styles, read our longer guide to yerba mate.
What does it taste like?
Earthy, grassy and pleasantly bitter. Many first-timers find it like a strong green tea. The first sips are the strongest, and it mellows with each refill.
If you’re new to mate, start with an unsmoked or mild yerba, which is gentler than the stronger traditional blends. Some people add a little honey or sugar at first. Mate naturally contains caffeine. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women.
How to make your first mate
- Fill your gourd or mate cup about two-thirds full with yerba.
- Tilt it so the leaves slope to one side, leaving a hollow on the lower side.
- Pour a little cool water into the hollow and let the leaves soak it up for a moment.
- Push the bombilla into the wet side, right to the bottom. Once it’s in, don’t stir it.
- Add hot water at about 70–80 °C, in the same spot. Never use boiling water: it scalds the leaves and makes mate harsh. No temperature kettle? Switch it off as soon as it starts to rumble, before it boils.
- Sip it all until you hear a gurgle, then refill with hot water and sip again. One gourd of yerba lasts for many refills.
Prefer it cold? Try tereré, the cold version popular in Paraguay: the same method with iced water or fruit juice.
Easiest of all: mate tea bags. Brew one in a mug like ordinary tea.
Curious about the Brazilian style? See How to Brew the Perfect Chimarrão.
What you need to start
Three things: a gourd or mate cup, a bombilla and some yerba. Add a kettle and you’re ready.
Complete kits, yerba included
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Product on sale
Unsmoked Yerba Mate Gift Set Starter PackOriginal price was: £31.23.£24.99Current price is: £24.99. -
Product on sale
Yerba Mate Organic Starter Kit 500gOriginal price was: £15.74.£12.99Current price is: £12.99.
Cup and bombilla sets (add your own yerba)
Pair a set with a bag of yerba mate.
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