Hands cradling a worn gourd, steam rising, early light.
35mm · Portra 400
Mate, the way it's meant to be shared.
I'm Nate — an American who fell for yerba mate in 2025. I'm learning from the people who know it best and sharing every step, in English.
An American who fell for yerba mate in 2025 — learning it properly, in public, and bringing English speakers along.
I didn't grow up with mate. I came to it late and as a beginner, and I've been learning ever since — from yerba brands and producers, from the artisans who make the gear, and from lifelong materos generous enough to teach me. I document the journey so you can learn alongside me.
Honest
A beginner's point of view — no gatekeeping, no pretending.
At the source
Learning directly from brands, producers, and materos.
In English
Translating mate culture for an audience just discovering it.
Two strangers becoming friends over a passed gourd.
35mm
You can't drink mate alone and call it mate.