The after-school activity today was a Mate tasting. Mate is incredibly popular in Argentina. Everywhere you go, there are people carrying Mate cups and thermos bottles with hot water for refills.
The school's receptionist explained us everything about Mate - preparation, drinking, breaking in new Mate cups, variations, customs,... Of course, we also got to taste Mate.
Apparently, drinking Mate is very much a group activity. Once the Mate is prepared, the cup can be refilled several times, so everyone takes turns in emptying a cup, refilling it and then passing it on.
Mate cups are usually sold in the same stores that also sell tableware, but of course there are also specialized shops. The one on the picture also sells the raw material for making cups - calabaza (pumpkin).
The school's receptionist explained us everything about Mate - preparation, drinking, breaking in new Mate cups, variations, customs,... Of course, we also got to taste Mate.
Apparently, drinking Mate is very much a group activity. Once the Mate is prepared, the cup can be refilled several times, so everyone takes turns in emptying a cup, refilling it and then passing it on.
Mate cups are usually sold in the same stores that also sell tableware, but of course there are also specialized shops. The one on the picture also sells the raw material for making cups - calabaza (pumpkin).
