drinking

Rituals of Yerba Maté

In South America yerba maté is a ritual shared by friends, family and co-workers. Whenever a group gathers, one person becomes the designated server—or cebador. He or she has a thermos or pitcher of water and bears primary responsibility for orchestrating the yerba maté ritual. The server takes the first sip, which is the strongest and can be slightly bitter. He then works his way through the group, offering the gourd to each person present. Each participant drinks the gourd dry and passes it back to the server. The server then fills the gourd again and passes it to the next person. After the first round, the order has been established and will be strictly followed throughout the sitting. The server can continue for some time without changing the yerba maté. When you’ve had enough, a simple "thank you" will let the server know to pass you by. The highest compliment that can be offered to the server is that he has a mano rica—an expert hand.

The yerba maté ritual varies, both based on the region and the season. Argentines and Uruguayans, for example, will generally use a small round gourd to consume their maté, where as Brazilians will use a larger gourd with a flared opening. Paraguayans will drink the yerba maté from a hollow bull’s horn, and will often include other medicinal plants in the mixture. Argentines drink maté hot year round, whereas Paraguayans drink it ice cold—known as tereré—in all but the coldest two months of the year. Some in the north of Argentina include sugar in their maté, while most in the south consider this almost a sacrilege!

Yerba Maté Etiquette

Don’t decline yerba maté when it is offered to you. Including you in the ritual is a great compliment and an important gesture of friendship.

Never question the hygienic aspects of sharing a bombilla. Remember that it’s no worse than kissing!

Don’t hold the yerba maté gourd for too long when it’s your turn. Drink it promptly and in its entirety before passing it back to the server.

Never ask a Paraguayan if it’s sanitary to drink from a cow’s horn. This is a timeless tradition, not to be questioned.

	Rituals of Yerba Maté In South America yerba maté is a ritual shared by friends, family and co-workers. Whenever a group gathers, one person becomes the designated server—or cebador. He or she has a thermos or pitcher of water and bears primary responsibility for orchestrating the yerba maté ritual. The server takes the first sip, which is the strongest and can be slightly bitter. He then works his way through the group, offering the gourd to each person present. Each participant drinks the gourd dry and passes it back to the server. The server then fills the gourd again and passes it to the next person. After the first round, the order has been established and will be strictly followed throughout the sitting. The server can continue for some time without changing the yerba maté. When you’ve had enough, a simple "thank you" will let the server know to pass you by. The highest compliment that can be offered to the server is that he has a mano rica—an expert hand. The yerba maté ritual varies, both based on the region and the season. Argentines and Uruguayans, for example, will generally use a small round gourd to consume their maté, where as Brazilians will use a larger gourd with a flared opening. Paraguayans will drink the yerba maté from a hollow bull’s horn, and will often include other medicinal plants in the mixture. Argentines drink maté hot year round, whereas Paraguayans drink it ice cold—known as tereré—in all but the coldest two months of the year. Some in the north of Argentina include sugar in their maté, while most in the south consider this almost a sacrilege! Yerba Maté Etiquette Don’t decline yerba maté when it is offered to you. Including you in the ritual is a great compliment and an important gesture of friendship. Never question the hygienic aspects of sharing a bombilla. Remember that it’s no worse than kissing! Don’t hold the yerba maté gourd for too long when it’s your turn. Drink it promptly and in its entirety before passing it back to the server. Never ask a Paraguayan if it’s sanitary to drink from a cow’s horn. This is a timeless tradition, not to be questioned.