Mate

And the gods, proud of man's hospitality, gave to them their weeds, and taught them how to make mate.

South of the Vonayres plains, cider is made from apple groves. Lemons are grown on the forested north and the mountainous west is known for its vineyards and wines. the central flatlands are knowledgeable in brewing many types of beer from many different grains, and on the Kurtoban Hills the sacred pherné is drunk both ritually and at home, much similar to the chicha on the arid northwest. But no matter where you go, there is almost always one constant, needing only water and a simple weed. Be it in the strange rituals of the Warany pagans, the large marriages of the Arawayans, or as a simple drink shared amongst piers to show trust or hospitality, mate is a drink that became universal across most of the known world, even from before the Fog. A simple straw, usually made out of some metal, a container, normally of wood, bull horn or the dried husk of a gourd, crushed and dried mate weed and hot water are all that is needed to make this drink. Sometimes cold water or even fruit juice are used instead, this type of mate is called tereré. Due to mate's sour taste, some people sweeten it with sugar or honey, but most drink it as it is.

Significance

Mate's significance varies from culture to culture. Many see it as just a drink to be shared amongst friends and trusted ones, one drinks until the gourd is empty, then giving it back to the person that first prepared it, them filling it back up and passing it to the one next to the person that just finished drinking. Some cultures give the drink a more divine nature, saying this drink was bestowed upon mankind by a couple of benevolent gods that disguised themselves as old nomads and were granted shelter by a villager. These mate cults are often seen amongst people descended from the Arawayans as they migrated south, even managing to syncretize into the very Catholic culture of the Arawarenses. However, some more pagan mate cults still exist. Mate cults are also suprisingly popular amongst the Yorug peoples.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Related ethnicities