Argentinian Culture
Another day, another adventure. Through one of the most cultural experiences in Argentina, and a flight deeper into Patagonia, it was a great day as the adventure in this surprising country continued.
I started the morning by packing all my things and checking out. I also bid farewell to Claudia and Silvia, who were leaving before myself and heading to Buenos Aires. For the day, I had a catch up call with a colleague, a mate experience, and then a flight to El Calafate.
I headed to the same cafe that I was at the previous day for a coffee and a cheese tostada (thing grilled cheese), over which I had a call with my friend and colleague Harry in Austria, to catch up as it had been a long time.
We discussed work lightly, and instead focused on how our lives had been and all the things we had gotten up to over the past year and a bit, which was the time we were last face to face in Ottawa.
Following our discussion, it was time to head over to Ojala Tea and Mate Shop for my mate experience. I had randomly come across the shop yesterday and was told that they offered a mate experience for about 6 USD, which I did not hesitate to sign up to.
Mate is a local drink very popular in Argentina - you can see Argentinians enjoying it in offices, hikes, and everywhere in between. It is made of the Yerba plant, which is only grown in a region between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The blend looks similar to a loose leaf green tea but had a completely different flavour, and is brewed differently.
Luna was going to be taking me through my mate journey for the day, explaining everything about the history, the production, the brewing process, and the associated social aspect of the drink. According to legends, the plant was given to the people indigenous to the region aforementioned when they defended the goddesses of the moon and cloud against a wild animal upon their descent to Earth. In exchange, these goddesses provided the people with the Yerba Mate plant and later taught them how to cultivate it and brew it.
The brewing process for mate is very specific, as water needs to be heated to no more than 80 degrees Celsius, to avoid burning the Yerba, and a special straw with a filter, known as a bombilla, is used to drink it. In essence, it can be thought of as a loose leaf tea, and I bet the same drinking method can be used for loose leaf tea as well.
After brewing it, you take sips and keep adding water until the Yerba looses its flavour. One thing to note is that mate can be enjoyed alone, although it is very likely that you will see Argentinians enjoying it in a group. In that setting, the mate host, who will be preparing the mate, is responsible for giving the cup and straw to everyone, and each guest is expected to finish all the water before handing it back to the host. The host would then refill the water and pass it onwards to the next person. As a guest of the mate host, you would only say thank you when you do not want anymore mate.
I think I have covered enough information about the mate experience for now, and I would recommend you all to read up more if interested, or if in Ushuaia, sign up for the experience.
Once done with my Mate experience, I bought a starter kit, consisting of a thermos, a mate cup (mine is glass on the inside although traditional are pumpkin), a bombilla, and a Yerba mate blend with mint, rose, and chamomile. I bid one last farewell to Ushuaia, buying a few small fights on the way and snapping a few last pictures, and was then on my way to the airport for my flight. Next stop…El Calafate.
A few hours later and I was in El Calafate, still in Patagonia although more north of Ushuaia. My plan was to be in Calafate for 3 nights, with plans to see the Perito Moreno Glacier and hike in El Chalten for a day. You will be reading all about those in some of my upcoming posts.
Arriving at my hostel was a great experience, I had booked America del Sur Hostel in El Calafate which had such a log cabin feeling to it, with a central fireplace which people gathered around. There, I met Dutch Finn, German Chryssa, and Australia Melissa. All had been travelling for different times through Argentina and South America, and we all decided to head for dinner together and keep exchanging stories.
The meal we had was phenomenal! We were first served bread with a lentil “salsa”, and if anyone knows the name or recipe for this, please let me know. I then had a lamb empanada, which was also a nice introduction to the main dish - lamb. Finn and I opted to order the lamb for 2, known simply as that, and we were neither disappointed by the portion nor the flavours! So succulent, flavourful, tender, mmmmmm. And the chimichurri on the side was just so flavourful and the perfect accompaniment. We were also guilty of ordering dessert, where I ordered what I can only describe as a heavenly Argentinian trifle, with mixed berried, coffee, and pieces of cake. We also ordered the Queso y Dulce, which is basically pieces of cheese with a jelly-like dessert thing on top, also delicious.
After our amazing dinner, with all our stories and travel plans discussed, it was time to head back to bed as we each had plans the following day. For me, it was the Perito Moreno Glacier!
Have you tried Mate before? Do you have any similar traditions or rituals? What is the most bizarre dessert you have tried? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below but till then, stay positive!
