Thank you for the information Fernando, Mate consumption is an interesting
part of the culture, much more than a simple coffee break (and I doubt many
Americans would be willing to pass around a common coffee cup with or
without a bombilla).
I doubt the weather had much to do with it when I was there. I traveled in
August so they were in the depths of winter. Most people were wearing
light-weight jackets; at the time I was living in New York so short-sleeved
shirts were sufficient for me.
As for the type of Mate; being a newbie I'm sure I couldn't tell the
difference. But the next time I buy some I'll look for the Brazilian
variety.
Hmmm...all this talk of stems and seeds reminds me of my college days. ;^)
Charlie
On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 3:27 PM, Fernando Gonzalez Gentile <
fgnzalez@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> LOL ! _ well, there should be some other factors to take into account:
> 1- Ascunción has a more ( much more ) hot climate then Montevideo, that
> might explain why they gather to drink mate on the corner, outside in
> the street. You can see Uruguayans drinking mate in the street even in
> winter, small groups of friends or couples, sharing the mate around but
> not on weekdays but rather on weekends.
> 2- It is allowed but much less frequent these days to take the mate to
> work.
> 3- Students ( third grade ) drink lots of mate while preparing exams.
> 4- mate in the morning ( hot, of course ) is ok, but one can drink mate
> anytime.
> 5- Yerba Mate in Uruguay comes from Brazil, and it's export quality:
> "pura folha" - leaves of yerba mate only - no small sticks mixed; and
> therefore much stronger, an expensive. Argentina and Paraguay produce
> their own, and I personally don't like it, find it tasteless and the
> infusion lasts little compared to what we buy from Brazil. We are more
> mate-drinkers like the <Gaúchos> are - a general name to refer to the
> people living at Rio Grande do Sul state.
> 6- Another chapter would be the huge quantities of mate drunk in rural
> areas, people who grow cattle and such; who are exposed to hot
> temperatures and direct unfiltered sunlight: no frozen Coke there, but
> they drink it hot nonetheless.
>
> Anyway, I should admit drinking mate is getting outfashioned in Uruguay,
> I guess because of its association to some political culture. During the
> eighties and perhaps well into the last years of S.XX it was so
> established that I wouldn't find a student at hospital going without his
> 'mate outfit' _ :^)
>
> Guess what ? - best hot water bottle to pour into the mate are the
> Stanley, the green steel ones @ USD 100 each.
>
> Fernando.
>
> Charles Geilfuss wrote:
> > Fernando,
> > That would be pretty amazing. When I stayed in Ascencion, in the
> mornings,
> > every downtown corner had a group of people, gourd in hand, bombilla in
> > mouth enjoying their morning Mate.
> >
> > Charlie
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 8:17 PM, Fernando Gonzalez Gentile <
> > fgnzalez@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> I was about to suggest Mate ( Uruguayans beat Paraguayans as Mate
> >> drinkers any time ) - Fernando.
> >>
>
>
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