The sun., 1919-04-28
MATE TEA POPULAR
IN LATIN AMERICAS
Substitute for Beer Possesses
Latter's Good Qualities and
None Of It's Bad.
SLIPPING REAL PLEASURE
Chilean Girl Describes the
Origin and Perpetuation of
a Social Custom.

An article published some time ago
ON yerbd mate as q proposed substitute
for beer IN the United States resulted
In many queries from Interested readers.
Heretotth " given the story Of a Chilean
otrl Uho let's US have the benefit Of her
observations concerning the use Of that
popular Latin American beverage in
many Of the South American countries,
BY GRACIELA MANDUJANO.
Specially toritten for the Latin American
Section Of THE SUN
While the ghost of prohibition hovers
over gay New York, people who lose
their sleep trying 10 concoct new bever-
ages to raise their dampened spirits
during the tragic days to come also
lose their patience at not finding better
components than milk and sugar to offer
for stimulating formulas.
The scarcity OF new ideas has led
some persons to study what other peoples
In remote parts OF the world use as
stimulants and somebody has suggested
the adoption of yerba mate tea, o
beverage commonly used in many Of the
south American countries.
In way this was not a bad sug-
gestion. for the old fashioned drink has
an agreeable taste and is no doubt a
good antidote for depression, but It's
preparation requires such elaborate
paraphernalia and tradition requires
that It be served 30 leisurely that these
Two considerations will probably prevent
mate from being democratized.
II IL difficult to imagine drinking and
dv 10
poured at lunch counter from big
boiling kettle after you are accustomed
to the South American way OF serving
IL, always quiet and slowly, creating
intimacy in homelike atmosphere.
Once q Social Ceremony.
or course. although the process even
IN South America Is nowadays very
simplihed, the traditional way had It's
raison detre. or better, its explanation,
since mate drinking was perfected and
became social ceremony at a time when
people had little to do and scarcely any
amusements and time was slow after
siesta hours in the big houses with long
corridors and sunny. quiet gardens.
Visiting and Eossiping were then the
chief source OF amusement and mate was
considered suitable refreshment at a
time when tea was practically unknown.
Those beautiful mate parties are to-
day only memory and nobody would
think of offering this drink to a new
acquaintance. The silver mate cups GU,
or which our grandmothers drank have
been substituted by a simple gourd pre-
pared for this object, and snobbish
young persons with foreign ideas are
rather ashamed of their mothers old
fashioned habit. even IL they themselves
~1A.
freshment
But mate is only apparently becoming
thing OF the past, for its adopts in
almost every home find II difficult to
dispense with the sensation of peace and
repose that comes over you when YOU
are sitting on low stool in front or a
polished copper brazier where the
shining kettle makes cultural, monoto-
nous sounds. Perhaps the big, lazy
family cat purrs softly by your side,
while the dear white haired lady who
sits across the fire tells you how wonder.
fully the country has developed and how
the city has grown during her lifetime
from big village into a busting, beau
tiful, modern. populated city.
Must Drink softly and Slowly.
In the meantime. with trembling
HHStEs' rHe is Dusy tOdStlnR sugar Tor
the mate on the red burning Goals.
Finally she hands to you the mate cup
whose boiling contents you are supposed
to sip through a silver tube. The BIT
ter sweet beverage. strangely perfumed
with leaf OF cedro plant. is different
at every sip and you feel tempted to
accept second and third cup. II is
very hot and you must drink slowly ,
there Is much understanding and
sympathy In your hostesss eyes and YOU
feel strangely tempted to talk of con-
fdential subjects. to think OF the past
or dream of the future. When YOU
have spent an afternoon in this way
and drank two or three cups of mate
you can say truthfully. II you are a
foreigner that you have had better
opportunity TO appreciate the hospita rity
OF the people in the country you visit
than IL you had been in museum or
an old cathedral.
II seems as II we might expect 10
drink mate tea just as ella borately pre-
pared in any OF the famous cabaret
rooms OF New York We might also
hope To be invited in the not distant
future TO attend a mate party In q
fashionable New York mansion, where
mate will be served in front OF an open
fireplace while the wind roars and the
snow falls heavily in the motor crowded
avenue,