¡Hoy es sábado sabroso! (Today is savory Saturday!)
La fecha es el dieciséis (16) de abril del año dos mil veintidós. (The date is April 16, 2022.)
La bebida de la semana es: mate. (The beverage of the week is: mate.)
I will never forget the first time I laid my eyes on a mate gourd during my first visit to Argentina. I thought, what is that? I was also taken aback by how the gourd was part of a social tradition engraved in South American culture. Despite the unforgettable moment when I burned all sense of taste from my tongue with my first sip of mate, I came to love mate, not simply for its antioxidants, but mainly because it brings fond memories of the loved ones that I have been able to share it with paired with delectable pastries, such as medialunas (a croissant-like pastry) and alfajores.
Mate is an indigenous herb that is cultivated and widely consumed in Argentina and Brazil, however, Uruguayans are the largest consumers. The herb leaves are both heated with boiling water and served in a special gourd and consumed with a straw-like utensil with a strainer tip called a bombilla. Mate is traditionally consumed socially. Once a person sips from the mate, they should top it off with more hot water and pass it to the next person in the group.
Para tomar mate necesitamos: (To drink mate, we need:)
| mate | (mate gourd) |
| bombilla | (bombilla) |
| yerba | (mate leaves) |
| agua herviendo | (boiling water) |
| compañeros | (companions) |
Learn how to prepare your mate with this guide. ¡Qué sabroso! (How flavorful!)
¡Que tengas un sábado social! (May you have a social Saturday!)
L. A. Feliz