Modern Uruguayans carry thermal flasks of hot maté the way Americans carry Starbucks cups: ubiquitously.
Also called yerba maté or yerba buena—“good herb’—maté is an infusion of the dried leaves of a local plant. It tastes a bit like chai, but has its own winning botanical flavor.
Maté was introduced to Uruguay’s settlers by local Guarani tribespeople and became a strong element of Uruguayan daily life.
The preparation, serving, and quaffing of maté is highly ritualistic. First the leaves must be steeped in hot (but not boiling) water) in a hollow gourd called maté or guampa. The leaves are stirred with a long, spoonlike utensil called a bombilla. And once it is brewed to perfection, the maté is poured into the owner’s omnipresent thermal flask.
But that’s Uruguay: traditional and pastoral, yet modern and sociable. And once discovered, Uruguay is irresistible. Romantic travelers thinking of heading to South America can anticipate memorable adventures for two in Uruguay.
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