Argentinian Drinks: Mate

Mate, also known as yerba mate, chimarrão or cimarrón, is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink, particularly in Argentina (where it is considered as the "national infusion"), Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil and less in southern Chile, Bolivia, Syria and Lebanon.

Mate is made from yerba mate (llex paraguariensis) leaves, similar to tea, steeped in hot water and drunk through a metal straw.

Mate is like an herb tea, and everywhere friends slow down and share mate. This is as much a social experience as it is a way to quench a thirst.   

Mate tastes like a very bitter Asian green tea.  The traditional mate is consumed without sugar, but some drinkers (especially the younger generation) like to add sugar or honey, creating mate doce (sweet mate), instead of mate amargo (sugarless, bitter mate).  
Mate was first consumed by the Guaraní people and also spread by the Tupí people who lived in that part of southern Brazil which was Paraguayan territory before the Paraguayan War. The Guaraní have a legend that says the Goddesses of the Moon and the Cloud came to the Earth one day to visit it, but they instead found a yaguareté (jaguar) that was going to attack them. An old man saved them, and, in compensation, the goddesses gave the old man a new kind of plant, from which he could prepare a "drink of friendship".

In Buenos Aires, people drink mate every day, alone or with friends. They drink it in winter as a hot drink and in summer as a cold drink made with iced water or with fruit juice (sometimes called tereré).

If a person offers you their mate, it is a sign of respect. Mate is shared from the same cup, using the same straw, person to person. Sharing mate with another person is all about friendships. And there is an etiquette to the sharing of the mate.

Mate is traditionally drunk in a particular social setting, such as family gatherings or with friends. The same gourd (cuia) and straw (bomba/bombilla) are used by everyone drinking. One person (cebador) assumes the task of server. Typically, the cebador fills the gourd and drinks the mate completely to ensure that it has a good quality. In some places, passing the first brew of mate to another drinker is considered bad manners, as it may be too cold or too strong; for this reason, the first brew is often called mate del zonzo (mate of the fool). The cebador refills the gourd and passes it to the drinker to the right, who likewise drinks it all (there is not much; the mate is full of yerba, with room for little water), without thanking the server. When one has had one's fill of mate, he politely thanks the cebador, passing the mate back at the same time. The cebador possibly drinks the second filling, as well, if he or she deems it too cold or bitter. The loud sucking noise made by the straw when no more tea remains is not considered rude. The ritual proceeds around the circle in this fashion until the mate becomes lavado, typically after the gourd has been filled about 10 times or more, depending on the yerba used and the ability of the cebador. No one has to  take too long, others in the roda (round) will likely politely warn him by saying "bring the talking gourd" (cuia de conversar).

Traditionally, natural gourds are used, though wood vessels, bamboo tubes and gourd-shaped mates, made of ceramic or metal (stainless steel or even silver) are also common. The gourd is traditionally made out of the porongo or cabaça fruit shell. Gourds are commonly decorated with silver, sporting decorative or heraldic designs with floral motifs.

Food from Argentina: Empanadas

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried filled with a variety of fillings. The stuffing usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, huitlacoche, vegetables or fruits, among others.

There are different national variants in many countries in Southern Europe, Latin America, the Southwestern United States and parts of Southeast Asia. Empanadas trace their origins to Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. The name comes from the Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.

They first appeared in medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions. Empanadas filled with seafood are mentioned in a cookbook  published in Catalan in 1520 among the recipes of Catalan, Italian, French, and Arabian food. Empanadas are believed to be derived from the Indian meat-filled pies, samosas. All these pastries have common origins in India and the Middle East.

Empanadas are very popular and consumed throughout Argentina, often served at parties as a starter or main course. They arrived in Argentina some centuries ago and today they can be easily found in little pizzerías as well as in many restaurants.

The dough is usually of wheat flour and beef drippings with fillings differing from province to province. It is chicken, ground or cubed beef, perhaps spiced with cumin, paprika or pepper; others including onion, boiled egg, olives or raisins. They may also contain ham, fish, humita (sweetcorn withwhite sauce) or spinach. Empanadas can be baked (Salta-style) or fried (Tucuman-style). The  dessert empanada has a fruit filling.

In big cities, empanadas are more commonly eaten as take-away food, sourced from restaurants specializing in this dish. They usually carry dozens of different varieties, which is not the case in northern provinces, where empanadas are usually made at home, with more traditional recipes.

During Lent and Easter, empanadas de Cuaresma filled with fish (usually dogfish or tuna) are popular. Also popular are the so-called Arabian empanadas, filled with beef, tomatoes, onion, and lemon juice, similar to the fatayer made in the Levant.

Every region in Argentina has its own style:

The Tucuman Province is home to the National Empanada Festival, held each September. They have three traditional varieties: beef, mondongo (tripe), and chicken, although mondongo and chicken are the most traditional. Spring onions, pimento, and vinegar are often added to the meat, while potatoes, peas, and olives are used only rarely. The dough is a simple mixture of flour, water, and lard.

The Salta Province produces empanadas salteñas, tend to be smaller than the Tucuman variety and are prepared without the addition of fats or oils. In addition to the usual flavors, they also have spicy beef. Fillings often include potato, egg, red pepper, and green onion.

Jujuy offers beef, chicken, goat, and even llamas. They put chili, onion, and peas in their empanadas.

The empanadas from Córdoba are sweet and made white sugar, beef, raisins, potatoes, and olives.

Catamarca and La Rioja, provinces in western Argentina, are often made with garlic, potatoes, ground beef, onions, and olives.

Entre Rios has a special empanada that is stuffed with milk-soaked rice.

In Corrientes, Misiones and Formosa, the empanadas are sometimes made with mandioc flour.

La Pampa has empanadas that reflect the tastes of its neighbors (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Patagonia); fillings commonly include red peppers, carrots, hard-boiled egg, and currants.

In Patagonia, the most common filling is lamb. On the coast, seafood empanadas are also quite common.