Tea Culture in Argentina

Argentinians are notorious Yerba Mate drinkers from dusk ’till dawn.

An average person drinks 22 gallons of tea per year.

History of Tea in Argentina

Back in the 19th century, a group of Welsh people migrated to Argentina and brought the tea culture with them.

Nevertheless, the people already had their own mythical herb that was thought to be ‘given by the Gods’.

Yerba Mate is a popular tea that grows in Argentina. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, they started importing tea seeds from China and started cultivating them.

Today, they are one of the biggest producers of tea as the Aregentininan people themselves are major consumers.

Since they’ve started producing their own tea, the culture of Yerba Mate drinkers expanded to neighboring Uruguay as well.

Yerba Mata Culture in Argentina

Yerba Mate is an organic loose-leaf tea that every Argentinian has at home or in their bag.

It’s traditionally prepared in a gourd with a special metal straw. The straw has a filter on the inside so it doesn’t let the leaves pass through while people sip from it.

The leaves are put in the top part of the gourd and then poured with hot water that they usually carry around in a thermos.

It’s always shared with others who sip from the same straw. Each person sips 4-5 times and passes on the gourd. When no more liquid is left, they pour hot water on top of the leaves and keep sipping.

People drink Yerba Mate throughout the whole day, and for most, it’s a replacement for the morning coffee.

Yerba Mate is more than a tea. Yerba Mate is a ritual of bonding, strength, and mutual care.