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mate	mate
Mate is a bitter tea that you drink in a gourd or other cup-shaped container through a metal straw with a filter in the far end. Drinking mate is a fundamentally social activity, and there are a few rules of thumb that you may want to observe: one person is the designated server, who serves him/herself first (the water must be not-quite boiling) and then the others one by one in a repeating circle. Don't say ?thank you? until you're handing the mate back to the server and you don't want any more. Don't lift or (God forbid!) stir the bombilla, this can cause yerba to pass through its filter and make your first mate experience an unpleasant one!
yerba, yerba mate	tea, leaf of the plant Ilex paraguayensis
mate	the cup, traditionally a dried gourd, also wood or metal (also refers to the drink in a general sense, like "have a mate")
palo santo	wood used to make mates
bombilla	the metal straw with a filter at one end
cebar	to serve mate
lavado	when the yerba doesn't have any taste left
Does it have caffeine? you are sure to ask. The answer always is ?No, but it has mateina?. That means that it?s an upper, but Argentines will swear up and down that mate is healthy and many of 'em drink it like water. It may be healthy but it's also acidic, so be careful. Variations include yerba mixed with yuyos (for different flavors, and to reduce the acidity), or even mixed with coffee grinds. You can throw in anything you want, really, including orange or lemon rind, cinamon sticks, coriander seed, or milk (I've seen it all).
mateina	caffeine-like element of yerba mate
yuyos	herbs
mate cocido	yerba in a flow-thru bag, to drink like tea
mate dulce	with sugar (?sweet?)
mate amargo	without sugar (?bitter?)
Because it's essentially bitter, some Argentines drink mate with sugar. But many don't, and this dichotomy can cause tension (have you read Dr. Seuss's book about the Sneeches?) because if you're drinking mate in a group and one person puts sugar in for their drink, it ruins the taste for any hardcore 'amargo' types. I've even heard of personal opinions on acquaintances based on whether or not they take sugar in their mate. Whatever you do, drink, or don't drink, definitely buy a couple mates and bombillas?they make great gifts for the folks back home!
¡Tomá mate!	You don't say! (surprise or admiration)
¡Tomá mate y avivate!	Have a mate and get a move on!

Visit www.yerba-mate.com for more info and to get some!
Last updated 11/14/2005