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You might be surprised to learn, but the tradition of drinking mate isn't exclusive to certain South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). In fact, mate is extremely popular in... Syria!
Syria has long been one of the major importers of mate . The first recorded Syrian import of Argentinian yerba mate dates back to 1936 and amounted to almost 40 tons (second largest importer after Bolivia) .
Today, despite the armed conflicts taking place there, Syria remains the world's largest importer ( outside South America) of yerba mate. In 2017, no less than 22,500 tonnes were exported from Argentina to Syria!
At first glance, the connection between Syria and mate may seem unclear. But there is an explanation, and it's quite simple.
If Syrians have adopted mate, it is because their history is linked to Argentina and Brazil through several waves of immigration.
The first was triggered by numerous armed conflicts between 1860 and 1912. It was nevertheless accelerated by the visit of the Ottoman Empire by the Emperor of Brazil. The latter, charmed by the local culture, encouraged the inhabitants to come and settle in the south of Brazil .
The second wave of immigration took place between the First and Second World Wars and was, once again, the result of conflicts: the Franco-Syrian War in 1920 and the Great Syrian Revolt between 1925 and 1927.
The third and final wave of immigration, after World War II , was also prompted by wars: the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949 and the Lebanese Civil War of 1958. With young people from that country being drafted into these wars, many fled the violence during this period.
These three waves of immigration to Argentina and Brazil obviously led to a sharing of culture and traditions . During all these years, Syrians in South America became accustomed to drinking mate.
It was not only from the 1970s that they began to return en masse to Syria, when the economic and political situation in Brazil and Argentina deteriorated (coups and military dictatorships) . At the same time, Middle Eastern countries were experiencing an oil and economic boom.
It was the combination of these two situations that led to a major return to the country. And this, with a souvenir from Latin America: mate.
Mate is generally prepared in the same way in Syria as in South America, with a bombilla and a mate gourd . However, there are two differences in the preparation of mate:
1. Syrians stir the bombilla after pouring hot water into their calabash... Never do this in front of a Uruguayan or an Argentinian, it would almost be considered sacrilege!
2. Syrians clean the bombilla between each person with a piece of lemon, while South American mate drinkers never clean the bombilla between drinkers. In fact, it would be considered antisocial, even rude.
