furniture

…it’s something I’d not heard of until Marina (Ramer) from Aphrodite Shop included the mate tea tray in this living room set, “Living de Campo” which is available at the Multicultural Menu from June 1 – June 21. I am always drawn to contemporary mixed with traditional and this is a perfect example. The furniture lines are contemporary, and to me so are the colors – black, white, tan….but the cowhide rug and print on the chair and foot stool and the rough wood framed artwork is traditional in Argentina.

So is the mate tea! Jesuit missionaries tried to ban the popular indigenous tea, yerba maté because they thought it was addictive. Is there anything missionaries didn’t try to ban? They gave up after a while and in that “if you can’t beat them, join them” spirit began cultivating it on plantations. The missionaries were booted out in the 1700’s, but the tea continues. Argentina is a major tea producer and I’m tankful because their tea is perfect for mixing and the United States is their biggest customer. Iced tea until the end!

Mate is served in a hollow gourd and drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla. There is a filter at the bottom of the straw to keep tea sludge out of what you drink…..AND mate is GOOD for us!

With antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering properties, and containing vitamins C, B1, and B2 and it’s a perfect morning tea since it’s loaded with caffeine. Orange peels and hot milk added to the yerba maté create a beverage called mate de leche con cascarita de naranja.

Who knew there’s even a museum dedicated to the history of yerba maté in Tigre, near Buenos Aires?

Living de Campo (Argentinian Style living room)
Couple Sofa PG 1.0 11 PI
Chair 3 PI
Black & white chair 3 PI
Black and white matching stool 2 PI
Deco Mate Set 4 PI
Picture Frame 3 PI
ANIMATIONS: Single, couple, cuddle, standing, laying, slow dance and activity – some with props