The Argentine day is punctuated by the mate round (the shared drink passed from hand to hand, from morning to night), late meals, and above all the afternoon merienda (a sweet snack with mate). On weekends, everything culminates in the asado: the great community barbecue where family and friends gather around the parrilla for hours. Eating in Argentina is first and foremost about coming together.

Dried and ground leaves of the yerba mate holly (Ilex paraguariensis), inherited from the Guaraní. Brewed without sugar in a gourd and drunk through a bombilla, it is the absolute emblem of sociability in the Southern Cone: sharing the same vessel is a sign of trust and belonging.