Mate is the national drink of Argentina. It is a symbol of friendship, because the drink is shared between friends and family; you cannot order mate just for yourself in a restaurant because it is meant to share. Mate comes from a plant in the north near Iguassu Falls because it is grown in the red soil. It is similar to a strong green tea.
Mate comes in a small cup with a spoon. The cups are traditionally made from old gourds, which are often dried out. They would then be hollowed out in order to drink out of. Many mate cups are very decorative, and they will be covered in silver and leather. There are some mate cups made out of sugar cane or wood, depending on where you are in the country. The spoon is also made of silver, and it has a filter in it. The filter allows you to drink the mate without ingesting the herbs. In order to cure a new mate cup, you must put the mate and water in the cup for a little over 24 hours, and then pour the water out. After this, you may drink out of the cup. You have to do this because some of the gourd taste may come out into your drink, so this curing process stops this from happening.
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