"Spit out the first mouthful," advises Sandra Dolores Becker by way of introduction to the traditional drink of southern Brazil, where she lives, called Erva-Mate. But once you get past that first gulp, she assures me, you begin to appreciate what makes it so beloved. When Sandra read my entries on tea she wrote to tell me about this ancient leaf from her part of the world. More than just a healthy drink, it's the way people come together in her city of Porto Alegre: They drink Erva-Mate sitting with friends in a "wheel," passing around a tea-filled gourd like a peace pipe, and sipping it with a silver or gold straw. Sounds pretty nice. But gold straws? Tea-filled gourds? Yup, we needed to know more. So Sandra graciously sent over a fascinating, illustrated primer on Erva-Mate that you can read right here. Thank you, Sandra!
