Andriy PorokhnenkoThey brewed the twigs and dried evergreen leaves for an hour, picking them every three years, and drank it with cold water (calling it terere) out of a cow’s horn.
Knowing with what herbs and fruits to infuse the yerba mate takes a nuanced approach as some fruits – lemons and oranges – go better with the mild or suave type of yerba mate and must be steeped in hot, not boiling, water for the taste to be agreeable. This almost alchemic expertise comes only with experience, something only a brewing enthusiast can deliver regarding the tastes and aromas associated with the countless variations of infused mates.
El Mate on Shota Rustaveli is this rare exception of authenticity. This is especially true in a city boasting a variety of ethnic eateries and outlets that, for the most part, fall short of even remotely resembling the taste they are supposed to duplicate in their countries of origin. The subterranean cafeis accessible through a square archway, where a wooden carving hangs with engraved green letters, resembling the evergreen color of the holly leaves from which the tea derives its strongly vegetal taste.
The manager-owner is able to offer customers the best prices because he purchases the leaves (he adds herbs, fruits and flavorings himself) directly from Argentinean growers, cutting out the middlemen. The laid-back cafe serves mostly traditional and organic mate teas, many of which are infused with honey and fruits. It also offers up hookahs, green and black teas as well as coffee, not to mention alcoholic drinks. Empanada pies are the only food fare offered on the menu.
First, some background information: Yerba mate (holly) trees apparently can only grow in subtropical South America. Attempts to grow them in Europe and places with similar climates have evidently failed.
The Guarani Indians have been known to cultivate and drink this energetically stimulating tea for over seven thousand years. They sometimes drank it for days without any food intake. And Argentinean gauchos (cowboys) are known to drink it to improve the meat-eaters digestive tracts. The green mate leaves are also known to prevent certain cancer cells from forming, and unlike other caffeinated drinks, like coffee, stimulate the central nervous system without causing the usual heart palpations, jitteriness, and has a calming effect on the body.
The cafe has three separate areas where one could lounge. Its thematic appearance has thatched ceilings framed with bamboo and palm leaves, along with bamboo frame chairs and tables, that resemble sitting in a hut. Glass display cases in the entrance offer a mishmash of everything Latin and Native American known to South and North America: maracas, pan flutes, a wide variety of gourds and metallic straws, wallets, leather Stetson hats, weaved colorful bracelets and canvas bags and for some reason, hookahs. Cuban salsa played in an almost inaudible tone allows for pleasant conversation.
El Mate offers mate tea tasting Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Hr 40, featuring five different types of tea infused and blended with honey, bilberry, pear, chamomile and even ginseng. They are accompanied by the usual discussions about each kind of tea, how to prepare it and includes picture descriptions.
Black and white pictures of Fidel Castro playing baseball hang everywhere on the walls, along with those of a young Che Guevara. He never forgot his Argentinean roots and introduced his favorite pastime of drinking mate to Cuba.
The whole place is non-smoking, another welcome facet of the cafe, and its waiters are knowledgeable enough to recommend the right kind of tea. Having a father who lived in Venezuela for 16 years and who introduced me to this age-old ritual, I opted for the organic, especially strong “De Las Flores” mate (Hr 35), which is grassy with an imparted smoky flavor, probably from the way the leaves were dried over a wood fire from across the ocean. My ever-loyal companion, my wife, tried a more mild tea called “Exclusive” (Hr 40) that had a blend of oranges and lemons in the water pot. Unlike other teas, mate doesn’t become astringent when steeped for extended periods, so the gourds are served with separate pots of tea for sharing or imbibing at two to three portions.
Conceptually, mate is brewed and infused with leaves, twigs and powder and often have herbs, flavorings (like honey) and fruits infused. The leaves are either dried over a fire or toasted, the latter commonly drunk in Brazil and has a less bitter flavor and more of a spicy fragrance. The crowd here is urban and it is a perfect place to lounge, relax and savor this South American specialty.
The cafe is accessible either from Lva Tolstoho or Palats Sportu metro stops and sells mate tea making kits, gourds, and metallic straws. And by the end of the month, it will introduce 12 more tea varieties.
El Mate (29B Shota Rustaveli, 287-3211). Open 11 a.m. till 10 p.m.
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