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This article is part of a series of 4 articles on the importance of mate in the culture of its 4 main consuming countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.
It's impossible to dissociate mate and Argentina. Mate can easily be considered the national emblem of Argentinians, and rightly so.
One only needs to see the importance of the mate in Argentine culture to understand.
Argentina is a very large country with varied landscapes. You can find:
And when we talk about Argentina, it's impossible not to think of football, wine, meat (the famous Argentine meat!) and… mate.
Especially with ambassadors such as the Pope or Lionel Messi!
Mate comes from the indigenous people of the region, the Guaranis.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Guaranis were already using mate leaves, chewing them or infusing them in small gourds. Mate leaves gave them energy for daily work.
Upon their arrival, the conquistadors quickly discovered the use of mate by the Guaranis. Very soon, consumption spread to fuel a significant trade throughout Argentina.
Currently, mate is consumed in a more modern way and is deeply rooted in Argentine culture. It can be found in almost every Argentine (a study by the Yerba Mate Institute showed that mate is present in 98% of households in the country).
But that is not a reason to consume mate only at home. People use a thermos and consume mate everywhere: at work, in the car, at university… Everywhere.
For Argentinians, mate is a national pride, a pretext to gather, a family tradition passed down for generations. According to a study conducted across the country, this is reflected in 5 ways.
Associated with national culture, mate is recognized as a pronounced trait of Gaucho identity.
It represents unity and sharing, helps with socialization, and facilitates the creation of bonds. It unites all Argentinians, regardless of city, age, profession, or even social class.
The habit is passed down from generation to generation: for many parents, it is a source of pride to see their children start consuming mate. Children often want to start drinking mate to do as the adults do.
But it is often during high school that young people start to consume mate regularly.
Consumption can take place in two forms, with different meanings:
If consumption is individual, it allows for occupation. It's a pastime, it helps to clear the mind. Whereas when consumed with friends or family, it leads to discussions and debates. Offering mate is an invitation to conversation.
At breakfast, mate is a rite of passage to start the day with a bit of energy, and before lunch, it serves as a break to calm anxiety or hunger.
Throughout the day, mate and the thermos accompany the accomplishment of various tasks: working, studying, cleaning the house, watching television, reading.
At the end of the day, it's a moment of relaxation.
Although in 2013, mate was declared the "national infusion" by the Congress of the Nation, it was on November 30, 2015, that the national mate festival was celebrated for the first time, after the publication of the law of December 17, 2014, in the Official Gazette.
This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Andrés Guacurari y Artigas, a Guarani leader who was one of the first leaders of the provinces of the Río de la Plata and the only indigenous governor in the history of Argentina.
Argentinian mate is produced in the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, in the north of Argentina.
Source: Yerba Mate Argentina
The red soils (high in iron) and the subtropical climate (without a dry season) are ideal for growing mate.
The production of mate plays a very important role in Argentina. Besides its obvious cultural and historical aspect, it is responsible for no less than 3.3% of Argentina's GDP!
In 2018, Argentina produced 305,000 tons of mate – of which 262,000 for Argentine consumption, and 43,000 for export.
Production is ensured by 18,000 farms (many independent producers) and nearly 22,000 employees.
The 5 countries that import the most mate from Argentina are (in order):
The Argentinian mate is also exported (in smaller quantities) to European countries – France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy.
Starting from the 1850s and 1860s, many Syrians settled in Argentina and fell in love with mate.
They subsequently democratized it in their country, to the point that mate has become very popular there. It has even spread to the region, as Lebanon, Israel, and Saudi Arabia are now major importers of mate.
To learn more: Why is mate so widespread in Syria?
Chile, the second largest importer of Argentine mate has always had common roots with Argentina. That’s why the tradition of mate has logically spread there.
The tradition of drinking mate in Chile is mainly present in the south, but is gradually moving north. Chileans especially love mate for its benefits and natural origin.
Of course, in Argentina, maté is mainly consumed in a traditional manner, with a bombilla and a gourd.
Normally, maté is drunk "strong and bitter", but more and more people give in and consume their mate "dulce", that is, by adding a little sugar to reduce the bitterness.
Argentine maté is quite strong - a little less than Uruguayan, but much more than Brazilian.
You can find all types of maté in Argentina, but it is still possible to outline the typical profile of Argentine maté:
Argentina is the country that produces and consumes the most maté. The yerba maté consumed by Argentinians is almost always aged and has a slightly yellowish color. Its taste has a certain bitterness and is particularly distinguished from the green maté, which is milder and mainly produced in Brazil.
Not well known, the distinction between these two types of matés can be useful to know, especially when one starts drinking this beverage.
There are hundreds of brands of mate argentino in Argentina. Here are some of the most well-known:
Rosamonte is an Argentine yerba maté brand created in 1936 by the son of a Ukrainian immigrant, Demetrio Hreñuk. During the first years, the company focused on planting, harvesting, and drying the plant. It was only from 1966 that the company began to market its own brand of yerba maté: Rosamonte.
The Taraguï brand offers an inexpensive yerba maté and is one of the most widespread in Argentina (nearly 20% of national consumption!). It is produced by the Establecimiento Las Marías, a huge plantation located in the province of Corrientes. It is also possible to visit it on the famous maté route.
CBSé is a particular brand of maté as it only sells flavored yerba maté.
Just like Taraguí maté, La Merced is a maté brand produced by Establecimiento Las Marias. It is distinguished by particular varieties of yerba maté: De Monte (grown in the mountains), De Campo (a fairly classic blend), and Barbacua (leaves dried over a wood fire).
Amanda is a well-known yerba maté brand in Argentina. It is produced by the company La Cachuera, an Argentine agro-food company. It was founded by John Szychowski, a Polish immigrant who settled with his family in northern Argentina in the early 20th century.
The calabash is the accessory used in Argentina to prepare maté.
Traditional Argentine calabashes are natural and made from gourd (hence the name calabash, which corresponds to the name of the fruit used to make the maté container).
The container used is normally called "a maté", but by misuse of language and for simplification, we always refer to the container as "a calabash", regardless of its material.
There are also traditional wooden calabashes.
However, the consumption of maté has modernized, with metal calabashes, glass calabashes, or even plastic ones. There are so many different models that it becomes difficult to choose your maté calabash.
The bombilla is the accessory that allows you to drink maté, a form of maté straw. It comes in the form of a metal tube equipped with a filter.
Most of the bombillas used are made of stainless steel and there are many different models.
And for maté lovers, there are also artisanal bombillas made with silver, alpaca, or even gold.
