Buenos Aires, Dec 8 (NA) - The City of Buenos Aires officially opened the Mate Museum, a cultural institution dedicated to the traditional infusion of the Rio de la Plata. The museum houses an impressive collection of over 10,000 objects and numerous exhibits, according to the Argentine News Agency. The opening was held as part of the Mate BA event, a fair for producers and cultural activities developed in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development of the City, which included folk music, tango, and traditional Argentine dances. The world's largest collection and its historic location The Mate Museum is located in a historic building at Avenida de Mayo 853, in the central and foundational area of Buenos Aires. Cans of yerba mate, mate gourds, sugar bowls, old thermoses, and a bar where visitors can taste all the yerba varieties they can imagine. Currently, 3,000 are on display, rotating continuously. "It's a very nice place," highlighted Plaza, who cataloged it as "the world's largest collection of mate." Plaza, who also runs a Mate Museum for 16 years in Sierra de la Ventana, emphasized that the goal in Buenos Aires is "to show mate to the world," as it is Argentina's "national drink." Mate as an ambassador of sports culture A prominent space in the new museum focuses on the deep connection between mate and Argentine sports, which has acted as a great disseminator of mate culture globally. The venue features images of iconic figures, such as footballers Mario Alberto Kempes, Diego Armando Maradona, and Lionel Messi. Plaza pointed out that thanks to athletes like them and Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto, the infusion is recognized worldwide. Tradition and record-breaking economy The inauguration highlights the cultural and economic importance of the infusion: National Consumption: In Argentina, an average of 6.4 kilograms of yerba mate per person are consumed annually, present in over 90% of households. Record Production: Yerba mate production in 2024 reached a historic record of 986,738 tons, concentrated mainly in the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes. The opening event was attended by the Minister of Economic Development of Buenos Aires, Hernán Lombardi, and allowed hundreds of mate lovers to enjoy tastings from more than 30 producers, as well as tango and folk dance performances. Although it had been possible to visit for several weeks, the official inauguration was this Sunday. Its owner, Alberto Plaza, a great conservationist of mate culture, detailed to Xinhua the magnitude of the collection: "We have a total of 10,000 mate."
