Yerba Mate in BA

 After two delayed flights, we landed in Buenos Aires, tired, hot and overdressed. The first things on the agenda were to get a sim card for the phone and to exchange some money. Some of the best things about travelling is learning about the different cultures, trying new foods and seeing sites that are different from home. Initially, I didn't think we were going to get much of that here. There was Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's, Bath and Body Works, Nike, and so many more stores and franchises we have at home. The only difference was that everything was a little more expensive. We asked our Airbnb host for some good restaurant recommendations, and he sent us information about Don Julio's, a Michelin-starred restaurant. He was not the only one who recommended this restaurant; even our Uber driver recommended it. They are very proud of this accomplishment here in Argentina, but it wasn't what Mark and I had in mind for our first meal in Buenos Aires. Instead, we paid $6.00 and enjoyed seven different kinds of empanadas in our little apartment. We were going to have to dig a little deeper to get the Argentinian cultural experience we were looking for.

We did some research and found a mate experience that we booked through Airbnb Experiences, and it was well worth the money and so much fun. Yerba mate is a drink that I would describe as similar to green tea, with lots of history, specific materials used to drink it, ways it is prepared, and shared. We headed out to La Martina, a polo shop closer to town, for our experience. The Polo shop itself was very interesting and full of history. It was the original location of the franchise and now has shops all over the world. The La Martina brand is the official supplier to the royal family. We learned that Yerba Mate and Polo have a strong connection through their gaucho origins. Yerba mate is a caffeneited beverage known for giving a slow boost of energy and satiating hunger.  This was definitely going to be the answer to my prayers; if only it tasted like Coca-Cola, I would be set! Yerba mate has a history of being enjoyed only by the rich at times, by the poor at times, and is now enjoyed by all. It is Argentina's national drink and a symbol of hospitality, freindship and trust. It is drunk from a cup called a mate through a metal straw with a filter on the end called a bambilla. The mates were originally hollowed out gourds, but now you can find wooden, glass, metal ones and even plastic ones for children. Yerba is made from the dried leaves and stems of a plant that looks like holly. The cebador is the person who prepares the mate. They heat the water to a specific temperature that is not quite a boil; the kettles here have mate settings on them.  The yerba is added to the cup and shaken on the side to form a mountain shape. The water is added to the base of the mountain in the mate, and the server is careful not get the top of the mountain of yerba wet. It is then passed to the consumer, who will drink it all and return to the server. The bambilla makes a slurping sound when empty, and if Mark didn't already have an excuse to slurp, he had one now! I secretly prayed that he wouldn't like it, so I wouldn't have to listen to him slurping at all hours throughout the day! It turns out that I was the one who actually liked it, so slurp away!! The cups are rather small, and only take a couple of sips to finish the warm beverage. This process repeats and continues in a circle, with everyone drinking and slurping from the same cup and straw. Don't worry, friends, we had our own mate and bambillas for our experience. When walking around Buenos Aires, you will see many people enjoying yerba mate in the parks, but you can not order it in a restaurant or cafe, which we thought was very strange. It is not an easy drink to enjoy on the go, but so many people do. Some carry their materials in a leather case, while others just carry their mates and a thermos around under their arm. We bought some yerba to bring home and are now on the hunt for our mates and bambillas.

The kettle, mate and bambilla in our little apartment.

Even Staley is in on the yerba mate experience; this set cost about $50

On our way home from our mate experience, we met Laura and Jim, who helped us to enjoy the traditional Argentinian meals we were looking for and some amazing sites around Buenos Aires. They were both so welcoming, and Laura quickly became our go-to expert for our time in Buenos Aires. Stay tuned for our next adventures!