Mate

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I apologize for using other people's posts, but this is the only way for me to create a post in the beginning of the thread.

Mate, you can drink it at any place, any time. I am a disaster preparing mate so I have to meet a round of people where the mate is going on and get some. Used to go to my brother's home where he was building models, watching TV and preparing mate all in automatic. I took advantage of that.

At the pier / on board I am sure to get some.

Coffee, I drink only one or two per day (espresso). Mostly, at the Starbucks just one block away. Strong and very tasty. Learnt to control myself. Is the closest to a vice I have...

I liked Matte when I was 25. 4 PM Matte and then work until 10 pm
Now it gives me an anxious, impatient, kind of stimulation, so I had to quit that.

#12 said:

I liked Matte when I was 25. 4 PM Matte and then work until 10 pm
Now it gives me an anxious, impatient, kind of stimulation, so I had to quit that.

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Hola #12,

Are you saying that you used to drink "mate"? How comes?

Where did you get "yerba mate"? Who introduced you to that habit?

While it could become an adiction is a not harmful one.

It is well known as suppressing the hunger feeling for hours. Two nights ago inside the holds, with just 2ºC temperature, it was really welcome.

Surprised!

atferrari said:

Where did you get "yerba mate"? Who introduced you to that habit?

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When I was working automatic lasers in Costa Mesa California, the business next door was people from Argentina. I played with their kid during breaks and they gave me "Mate".

Never had it, still trying to figure out what it is (other than a drink like coffee or tea).

Bill_Marsden said:

Never had it, still trying to figure out what it is (other than a drink like coffee or tea).

Click to expand...

It IS a drink like coffee or tea.

The last time I bought it was from a store in Miami, over the internet. A kilo bag. Forgot the price.

It's a green herbal tea, stems included. You make it like coffee. Put some in a container, add hot water, filter it with a coffee filter paper. Most people add sugar.

Like I said, it was good when I was 25. Now it makes me anxious, so I only drink coffee and Earl Grey for stimulants...unless you count Coca-Cola, which I find to be "not a stimulant", just flavored water, very necessary in the Florida heat. I cut it with water b/c it's too sugary to make a good hydrator.

Bill_Marsden said:

Never had it, still trying to figure out what it is (other than a drink like coffee or tea).

Click to expand...

It's like a tea of sorts.

Basically there are three ways to prepare it.

One, as explained by #12, as common tea.

Other way, the "yerba" is boiled for a while and then percolated. It is called "mate cocido". Really stronger taste.

Quite common in rural areas but we had it at home every afternoon with milk. Coffee and milk only for breakfast.

Finally, the most traditional that you could see everywhere as in the picture. Natural or with sugar plus some fancy combination with different herbs.

Yes, on case you ask: the small pipe ("bombilla") is shared by everybody in the round. Do not worry, if offered, you can simply refuse.

Last thing: if you are invited, and you accept, once finished, do not say "thanks". Next time when it is your turn, they will skip you because it is understood that you had enough. In other words, say "thanks" when you do not want more.

Been there, done that my very first time as a kid when offered mate by grown ups. You learn quickly.

#12: that brand is quite common. Last night we had exactly that one.

I just remembered, the teenage (older) boy got very annoyed with my Espanol. He kept repeating, "post tiempo!" until I understood that I was using the present tense and it should have been past tense.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "You should be honored that I'm making the effort to talk to you instead of being a jerk by demanding you use only English".

Teenagers!

The little boy got the surgery he needed to correct his ambliopia. That was when I realized that the parents moved the whole family and their business to the U.S.A. just to be where they could get proper care for their son and earn the money to pay for it. Very touching.

I thought you drank only mate.

MrChips said:

Mod Edit:

This message thread was moved from here: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=78&page=40

I apologize for using other people's posts, but this is the only way for me to create a post in the beginning of the thread.

Click to expand...

Yes, I got carried away.

Sorry and thanks. (Maybe I am drinking too much!).

Bill_Marsden said:

Never had it, still trying to figure out what it is (other than a drink like coffee or tea).

Click to expand...

I forgot to mention a variation used in warm areas or in summer : mate prepared with just cold water and exagerated people adding ice to it. The names is "tereré" (a "guaraní" word).

Personally I prefer it hot even in summer time.

By 1971, IIRC, I was skipper of an hydrographic boat involved in a survey along the upper Paraná river. A certain day, we landed with a small Zodiac on the Paraguayan margin and the humble owner of the place offered us tereré.

He simply took water from the river and we all drank tereré with no hesitation.

Few months later, we did a survey consisting of leaving the boat to go downstream with the engines stopped (like a "camalote" - water lily) while taking samples of the water. The goal was to establish not only the degree of pollution but the causes along the way.

Oh my, foam from a cellulose factory, orange peels from a juice processing plant, fuel oil spills...you name it.

That day I learnt that I would not have any more tereré prepared with river water. Live and learn.