Yerba Mate History
- Che Guevara drinking Mate
Yerba Mate (pronounced yer-bah mah-tay) is basically a tea. You can drink it hot or cold. Lots of people drink it in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Southern Brazil and even in Middle-Eastern countries. Mate and yerba translate directly into ‘cup’ and ‘herb’ respectively. So yerba mate is basically ‘herbs in a cup’.
Traditionally, yerba mate is sipped from a hollowed out gourd through a metal straw called a bombilla (bom-bee-ya).
There’s a good article on Wikipedia about yerba mate if you would like to read more about it.
Fernet with Coke
Fernet is a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit and is made from a number of herbs and spices. Fernet and Coke is so popular it’s basically Argentina’s national cocktail. (In case you’re looking for a personal theme song for your Fernet and Coke consumption, check out Argentinian band Vilma Palma’s “Fernet Con Cola.”)
Wine
Of Course, Argentina is famous for its wine! There are various regions making wine such as Mendoza, San Rafael, Patagonia, Salta, etc.
The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the country.
More on this section soon
