Sunny days and a mate workshop in Buenos Aires

Ten degrees is not considered cold for us Scandinavians, so no one in the travel party took this so-called 'winter' seriously. We quickly regretted that.

Here, the air is so humid that the temperatures feel more intense. That means ten degrees feels more like four, and the first week was quite bitter, wet, and cold.

Fortunately, the weather here changed quickly, and within a week the temperature rose to 18 degrees, which felt more like 28.

Last Friday there was brilliant sunshine, and even though it was no more than 18 degrees, I wish I had worn shorts and a tank top. It was perfect weather for a walk in the beautiful district called Palermo.

We were on our way to a mate-workshop, organized by Kulturstudier. This city is so huge that it takes a long time to get anywhere, but it's always worth the journey!

This Friday, we first took the subway, then walked for 45 minutes to meet the rest of our friends and classmates. We have no classes every Friday, which means we have a long weekend every week. This Friday was to be enjoyed with cookies and sweets, good company, and new knowledge about Argentine culture.

We stopped by a lovely thrift store on the way. The neighborhood is full of cozy cafes and shops, and some compare it to Grünerløkka in Oslo.

When we arrived at the park where we were supposed to meet, we were overwhelmed by how cozy the place was. In the middle of the bustling city, there was a large and peaceful park with a small pond where geese swam around with their young.

Picnic blankets were laid out with mate cups, yerba, biscuits, and cakes, and on all the blankets sat happy Scandinavians who were overjoyed to see the sun.

The organizers took the floor to explain a bit about what mate is, and the traditions surrounding the tea.

What is mate, really?

To become familiar with the culture of Argentina, and most of South America, you must be acquainted with mate. Mate is indeed the national drink of Argentina (Lotery, 2025), and the drink is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants (Zelman, 2024).

The drink that resembles a green tea is consumed daily by 90% of the Argentine population.

It is made from dried, powdered yerba leaves, with hot water, and various herbs – if you feel like it. For example, we got to taste orange-mate and chamomile-mate.

The drink is prepared in a special mate cup, which can come in various shapes and designs, but is easily recognizable.

In the cup, one places a 'bombilla'; a straw with a sort of filter so that you don't get too many leaves in your mouth.

The organizers taught us that you should pour the yerba leaves in such a way that they form a sort of mountain around the bombilla. This way, the top leaves can stay dry, and you can refill the cup with hot water several times, making the mate last throughout the day.

No matter where you go in Buenos Aires, you can see porteños (as people from Buenos Aires are called) with mate cups and thermoses in hand.

At the cafe, in the park, at tango shows, and at concerts. If you want to "blend in" with the porteños, drinking mate is an easy way to do it.

There are some cultural rules/etiquette you should be aware of regarding mate. Mate is meant to be shared, so if you drink mate, it's important to offer a sip to others.

There is only one person who should pour the water into the mate, and it is considered very rude to move the bombilla once it has been placed in the cup. When sharing mate, it should be passed around clockwise.

These are just a few examples of the many rules and etiquette norms surrounding mate drinking. They might seem a bit overwhelming or confusing to outsiders, but as long as one approaches other people's cultural rituals with curiosity and respect, everything should go well.

With a lot of new knowledge from our organizers, we could sit in the sun in the park and enjoy our mate. It was exciting to try different flavors, and to try to remember all the rules we were supposed to follow.

The organizers had purchased sweet biscuits, lemon cakes, and fresh medialunas (Argentinian glazed croissants), which they explained were commonly eaten with mate.

I ran over to one of the organizers and whispered in her ear that my new friend from the study, Mirjam, had a birthday.

Then she ran and bought a cake, and Mirjam received a birthday song from everyone sitting on the blankets. The birthday child shared the cake with everyone who was there.

As the clock approached 5 PM, we strolled back through Palermo before we finally went home. A very successful Friday in Buenos Aires, with new knowledge about the rich culture here in the country.

References:

• Lotery, L. (2025) All about mate - Argentina's national drink. Available from: https://www.thecambridgelanguagecollective.com/america/all-about-mate
• Zelman, K. M. (2024) Are there benefits to drinking yerba mate? Available from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-yerba-mate