Mate, The National Drink

Forget tea and coffee, the national beverage in Argentina is mate, a slightly bitter herbal drink which is made from yerba - the leaves of an evergreen tree native to North-Eastern Argentina. Mate drinking is a complicated ritual which has its dedicated followers and many would not dream of leaving the house without their flask of hot water and yerba.

You can sample mate everywhere in Argentina, but you should head north to find beautifully decorated "mates" (the name also applies to the gourd from which it is drunk).