Mate: Tea, the Chilean Way

On my most recent trip, my travel friend, Daniella, who is a Chilean, introduced me to this:

Mate tea

This my friends is called 'Mate' (hard 'e' on the end...mah-teh...not 'Matey' my Jamaican family :D). The metal straw is called a bombilla. My friend poured a combination of cool and hot water on some dried herbs as she excitedly explained that this is how they prepared and drank tea in Chile. She then promptly explained all the health benefits and offered me a sip. I instinctively refused because my first impression and thoughts to myself were... what manner of couldron is this? And then, why is steam consistently rising from cool/lukewarm tea? I had honestly never seen anything like it before.

Che Guevara sipping from a Yerba Mate.

She explained that it was made popular by the legendary Che Guevara and is a common practice in several South American countries including Argentina, Brazil etc. Now I regret passing on my first opportunity to sip herbal tea from a cured gourd through a metal straw. Next time I run into a 'Mate' I won't be so shy to take a sip!

~Love God,Live life,One Enkounter at a Time~

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