Gourd used for maté drinking
For many of us, when we’re in need of an energy boost we
grab the nearest cup of coffee or energy drink we can find. However, for 21-year-old Mateo
Askaripour, the need for coffee and Red Bulls became a thing of the past once
he was introduced to maté. He had heard one of his brothers talk about it before but had never drank it. It wasn't until he traveled to Abu Dhabi and saw an American woman screening a documentary about maté that he became really intrigued. He thought that there must be something to it if it was being talked about world wide. With a name like Mateo, it seems as if he was destined
to become an avid maté drinker. But the question still remains, why are people
all over the world so fond of it? The answer to that can only be revealed after
you’ve had your first sip.
I recently
had my first maté experience and after learning more about it I began to get a
better understanding for the international fondness of maté. Maté is a traditional South
American drink that is made from steeping dried yerba maté leaves in hot water.
Countries such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay even claim it as their
national drink. I had never heard of it before I met Mateo but I was
soon eager to know more. One of the first things you will learn is that maté is
not just a drink. There's much more to it than that. It is a ritual and a way
of bringing people together. Some would even go as far to say that drinking maté
is a way of life. “To drink maté means to connect with others,” says Mateo. “I
have chosen a lifestyle dedicated to connecting with others.”
But the maté
lifestyle is nothing like your ordinary coffee addiction. In fact, maté is a much healthier option. It
contains theobromine, which is found in chocolate, theophylline, which is in
tea, and less caffeine than coffee. The combination of these three elements
provides a great boost in energy. Dedicated maté drinkers usually drink maté every single day, the way many
Americans drink coffee. However, unlike coffee, the energy you get from
drinking maté is not the foreshadowing of an awful crash to come. Because this drink is natural,
there are many benefits to it. Maté is said to relax the muscles, decrease
stress, lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, boost the immune system
and most importantly, increase happiness.
Having my first maté experience
If you’re a bit of a skeptic like myself, you may be under
the impression that maté
is some sort of drug. I know that was my initial reaction. But it's not a drug
at all. In fact, maté has actually been approved by the FDA as Generally
Recognized As Safe (GRAS). But the health benefits are not the only things that draw
people to maté. Like I mentioned before, drinking maté is an old tradition and
even a lifestyle. That's because in places like Argentina and Uruguay sharing
a gourd of maté is a bonding session. This drink is something that cuts
through all social classes. Rich and poor people alike drink maté. Drinkers
often sit in a circle and share a drink over conversation.
Another important aspect is the preparation - this is just as important as the drink itself. Traditionally, the yerba maté leaves are placed in a
hollowed calabash gourd. Cold water is poured in before the warm water in order
to preserves all of the nutrients within the leaves. Drinkers sip the maté
through a metal filtered straw called a bombilla. The fact that everyone is
passing around the same gourd and drinking from the same straw makes the
experience very intimate. The first time I shared a gourd with Mateo I was
surprised that someone who had known me for no more than an hour would want to
share a drink, and especially a straw, with me. A maté circle is great symbol
of trust, because you wouldn’t share a drink with someone you didn’t trust.
Katie Ports, who is a mutual friend of Mateo and I, explained that “Sharing the
straw is part of the experience. You’re all drinking from the same cup, much
like how you would drink wine during mass, and it symbolizes a connection between
everyone.”
Katie & Mateo sharing a gourd
With all that it has to offer, it's hard to imagine why anyone
wouldn’t want to try maté at least once. For Mateo Askaripour, getting new
people to experience maté is somewhat of a mission. Mateo has come to call
himself a “Yerba Maté Evangelist” because he is trying to convert more people
into becoming avid maté drinkers, one gourd at a time. “I wish more people knew
about maté. I’m glad my friend Mateo is trying his best to spread the word,”
says Katie. And that is truly what he is doing. He is currently working on a
new website to make spreading the word easier. But until then, Mateo says that he is always
open to talking to people about maté through email, at events or even just during
an impromptu maté circle.
For anyone interested in drinking or learning more about maté,
feel free to check out Mateo’s website and YouTube channels: TheHardFluff and mateovermatter.
Mateo informing students about maté
