Few rituals carry as much emotional weight – or as much everyday presence – in Argentina as the act of sharing mate.
Present in approximately 90 percent of all Argentine households, according to the Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM, National Institute of Yerba Mate), each Argentine gets through an average 6.4 kilos of yerba each year.
Though today it is a symbol of national identity in Argentina, the origins of yerba mate stretch back to the Guaraní people, who consumed the leaves of Ilex paraguariensis as a communal stimulant and spiritual connector.
Later adopted and expanded by Jesuit missions, mate evolved into a vehicle of socialisation and companionship across the Río de la Plata region.
Few people understand the history behind the drink better than Martín Gómez, a chemical engineer turned yerba mate sommelier and the creator of the ‘El Mate Perfecto’ social media account.
Gómez has investigated long-held assumptions about mate, conducted his own experiments during the pandemic and eventually created an entirely new professional category within the world of sommellerie.
Through meticulous testing, sensory evaluation, and a deep respect for mate’s ancestral roots, the expert has b
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