Chimarrão

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for awhile now!!  Chimarrão is not only a drink, it is a tradition!    You may have seen it in some of the pictures I’ve posted but it looks like this…. 

Chimarrão (aka Mate aka Yerba Mate) is a warm drink that is kind of like tea.  You add warm water to dried leaves of erva-mate and then drink it through a bomba (straw.)    There are different kinds of mate you can purchase, some with sugar and some without.   There are rules to how you prepare the Chimarrão and how you drink it. 

You traditionally drink it in a group.  There is one person responsible for filling the mate. This person acts as the server for everyone.  This personal always drinks the first cup to ensure it is of good quality.  When you receive the Chimarrão you drink all of the water and then make slurping sounds.  Really, this is normal.  You then pass it back to the server.  Usually the Chimarrao is passed in a circle.   At home with my family, we often drink it before dinner.  It does have caffeine, so I have to be careful about how much I drink.  (Although, with all the coffee I’ve been drinking it doesn’t really matter.)  You see Chimarrão everywhere! You can drink it in class, at conferences, on road trips, during lunch, really anytime.   It’s especially popular because it’s winter here and the warmth is comforting! 

Oh and another fun fact, you don’t say thank you unless you are finished and don’t want anymore. Saying thank you (Obrigada) when handing it back to the person with the hot water indicates you are done.

When we were in Caminhos de Pedra in Caxias, we got to visit a place that processed Erva- Mate!  

At this location the mate is considered “hand made” because it is not processed in a factory but instead with old machines (big wooden beams) that run with belts and water to pound it into little pieces.  After touring the barn we were able to taste the Chimarrao!

 Cool sign that lists some of the rules of Chimarrao!

(Real Chimarrao doesn't come with sugar, it has antioxidant effects, never say it's too hot, don't hold on to it too long, don't mess with the bomba, don't drink out of order, don't consider it rude for the owner of the house/Chimarrao to drink first, don't mention the possibility of throat cancer..) 

I really enjoy drinking Chimarrao.  It’s like a tea to me and I love having the warmth on a cold day!  It’s also nice because it’s a way to bond with people.  You can sit down with a group of people and pass around a Chimarrao.  I don’t know.  It’s fun, it’s tradition, and I’m bringing it back to the states!

If you want to read more about it.  Use Wikipedia! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage)