Drink mate tea with locals in Argentina

“At Mate Club, we drink mate of course, but the primary purpose is conversation. Those learning English and those learning Spanish can get together to practice, switching off between languages every 15 minutes so everyone gets a chance to work on their language skills. As someone who struggles with confidence while speaking Spanish, especially when talking to native speakers, Mate Club has helped me improve immensely. Everyone is in the same boat when they are trying to learn a foreign language, so there is a common understanding that bonds everyone who goes. Through Mate Club, I have met tons of locals as well as people from other parts of Argentina, other countries in Latin America, and even places like New Zealand or Poland. I love Mate Club because it is a combination of those who are traveling and those who plan to travel, and there is always a new topic to discuss no matter what table you are sitting at.”

“Mate is one of the cultural traditions of Argentina that I love the most. Mate is a traditional drink, kind of similar to both tea and coffee. It has a really strong herbal taste; and although I am not the biggest fan of the taste, I love the culture that goes along with it. When you drink mate, there is one person who serves the mate and passes it out to the rest of the group. One person drinks, passes the cup back, and it gets refilled for the next person. There is a sense of community tied to the sharing of mate. Drinking from the same cup creates a bond. Throughout Buenos Aires you can see people sharing/drinking mate; on university campuses, parks, cafes, and even while working. Most commonly during this trip, I have shared mate with my classmates at the University of Buenos Aires. Throughout class and class field trips (so even on the bus) we drink mate together. While drinking mate with my new friends, I appreciate the sense of community and togetherness.”