How it works is like this: the person who "ceba el mate," or prepares it, is the first one to take a taste. After that, this person begins passing the mate to those next to him or her, who give it back to that main person to prepare again for those next in the circle. When you say "thanks" after sipping, it means you don't want to drink anymore. For this reason, it's important not to thank everyone each time you take a sip, but only once you've had enough.

Mate can either be taken bitter or sweet. For first-timers, I would recommend adding some sugar or honey, as the herbs can be quite pungent if you're not used to it. Moreover, being one of the last to sip it can also help to take out some of the bitterness, as by then the hot water has taken away some of the flavor's intensity.

During my first time trying it, I added sugar to help ease the bitterness. While the first few tastes were hard to swallow, once you get used to it the flavor is actually quite nice. Aside from sharing, there are other reasons people enjoy drinking mate. For one, many locals in Argentina find the drink delicious. Additionally, it's a cheap way of "having a drink" for a long period of time with friends. And for those on a diet or having digestion issues, mate is said to be a diuretic. For the best mate, I've heard from many locals that Rosamonte (pictured above) is the best brand.