If someone ever hands you a gourd of yerba mate, you're being invited into a small ritual. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, mate is usually shared, and the sharing comes with a set of unwritten rules. Nobody will tell you off for getting them wrong, but knowing them makes the whole thing far less awkward. Here's a plain guide to mate etiquette: who serves, how the round works, what to do with the bombilla, and why you should be careful about saying "thank you".
If you've never made mate before, start with our beginner's guide to making yerba mate, which covers the gourd, the bombilla and the water temperature step by step.
What is a mate round?
A mate round (in Spanish, la ronda) is simply a group sharing one gourd. One person prepares the mate, fills it with hot water, and passes it to each person in turn. Each person drinks the whole gourd, then hands it back to be refilled for the next person.
It's the same gourd and the same bombilla (the metal straw with a filter at the bottom) going round the group, for as long as the yerba keeps its flavour.
The cebador: the person who serves
The person who prepares and serves the mate is the cebador (or cebadora), from the Spanish verb cebar, to prepare and pour mate. It isn't always the host. It's simply whoever takes on the job.
The cebador drinks first
The cebador traditionally drinks the first gourd or two. The first serving is the strongest and most bitter, and it often has a bit of dust from the leaves, so the cebador takes it rather than passing it on. As Lonely Planet's guide to drinking mate in Argentina puts it, "it's polite to take the strongest hit" yourself.
The cebador keeps the water
The cebador holds on to the flask or kettle for the whole round. The City of Buenos Aires tourism guide, how to prepare mate, says the same person "retains the duty of cebador" throughout, and that it's the cebador's job to remember whose turn it is so nobody gets skipped. As a guest, don't reach for the flask and serve yourself.
Pouring for the group
A good cebador pours a little water each time, always into the same spot next to the bombilla, so the dry leaves at the top of the slope last longer. Pour too much and the yerba "washes out" quickly. When the flavour has gone flat, people say the mate is lavado (washed), and it's time to empty the gourd and start again with fresh yerba.
How to take your turn
Drink the whole gourd
When the gourd reaches you, drink all of it. It's only a few sips. Don't take one polite sip and pass it on half full, and don't hold on to it while you chat.
Give it back to the cebador
When you've finished, hand the gourd back to the cebador, not to the person next to you. The cebador needs to refill it first, otherwise the next person just gets a gourd of wet leaves. The Buenos Aires Herald's beginner's guide makes exactly this point.
A slurp means it's empty
A gentle slurping sound at the end tells you the water has gone. That's your cue to stop and hand it back.
Leave the bombilla alone
The bombilla is set into the yerba at the start and stays there. A few rules follow from that:
- Don't stir it. The yerba is arranged in a slope on purpose. Moving the bombilla breaks it up and can block the filter.
- Don't lift it out or reposition it. Leave it exactly where the cebador put it.
- Don't blow down it. That pushes wet leaves back up through the gourd.
- Don't wipe it before you drink. In a mate circle, wiping the bombilla can come across as rude.
If you'd rather not share a bombilla, that's completely fine. You can politely say "gracias" (see below) and bow out of the round, or bring your own gourd.
Why "gracias" means "I've had enough"
This is the one that catches most visitors out. In a mate round, saying "gracias" when you hand back the gourd isn't just good manners. It tells the cebador you don't want any more, and they'll leave you out of the next round.
So when the gourd comes to you, drink it and hand it back without a word, or with a smile. When you've genuinely had enough, that's the moment to say "gracias".
A few more customs worth knowing
- Bitter is normal. Mate is meant to taste a little bitter, and the first servings are the strongest. If you'd like it milder next time, try a different yerba. Our guide to the types of yerba mate explains the difference between con palo (with stems) and sin palo (mostly leaf).
- Ask before adding sugar. Some people sweeten their mate and plenty don't. In a group, follow the cebador's lead.
- Tereré works the same way. In Paraguay, mate is often drunk ice-cold as tereré, and the round and the cebador work in just the same way.
Making mate at home in the UK
You don't need a group to enjoy mate. Plenty of people in South America drink it on their own through the day, and it can be made in a cafetière or with tea bags too.
Yerba mate contains caffeine. The NHS advises that if you're pregnant, you should have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day.
We don't sell yerba mate at the moment.
FAQ
Who drinks first in a mate round?
The cebador, the person who prepares and serves the mate. They drink the first gourd or two because the first servings are the strongest and most bitter.
Do you pass the mate to the next person?
No. Hand it back to the cebador, who refills it and passes it to the next person.
What does it mean if you say "gracias" when drinking mate?
It means you've had enough. The cebador will leave you out of the next round, so only say it when you want to stop.
Can you stir yerba mate with the bombilla?
No. Moving the bombilla breaks up the yerba and can block the filter, so leave it where it is.
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