Yerba and a Day at the Museum

I consider myself a tea connoisseur. I am one of those people that buys the bulk 1 lb bags of loose leaf tea, knows the difference between Oolong and Lopsang Souchong, Matcha and Sencha, and have written and read extensively on the history of tea in both the East and the West. This said, if there was one thing I knew I had to invest in when I moved to Buenos Aires it was a mate gourd and some good mate. But how could I know I was investing in some good quality mate? I knew mate had all sorts of health benefits, a very distinct flavor, and a long history, but beyond that I was lost when it came to choosing good mate.

Unfortunately my extensive knowledge of tea didn't carry over into the world of mate, and my research into what brand of mate to buy didn't help much either. In fact it seems that preference for a specific brand really comes down to individual taste. This is why, in my tea connoisseur-like fashion, I have decided to try as many brands as possible to find the real differences, if any, between one brand and another. I am now on my second batch of yerba.

My first batch was produced by a company called Amanda and it tasted excellent to me. My second batch is from La Merced, a company that markets its mate as distinct and different from other brands. However, while it tastes great, I don't think there is a significant difference in taste between Amanda and La Merced. Both harbor the smoky, earthy, and savory taste characteristic of great mate.

This is the campo & monte variety marketed by the La Merced brand and my second batch of mate.

After taste-testing my new mate variety it was time to head over to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and for several hours was swept away by some of my favorite artists. A few of my favorite works on display included several critical social sketches from Goya's Los Caprichos, el Greco's San Juan Evangelista, Gustave Courbet's very impressionistic Marina, and above all the impressionist sketches of Degas. I have included images of some of my favorites below. As I could not take photographs I have drawn on the internet for these images.

El Greco's San Juan Evangelista created in 1609. 

Gustave Courbet's Marina, 1870s. 

Incendio en un Hospital by Francisco Goya. This painting reminds me very much of the sublime artwork being created in England around this time. 

One of the satirical sketches from Goya's Los Caprichos, and titled "el sueno de la razon produce monstruos." Mid-late 18th century.

After a tour of the art museum I went in search of the Torre Monumental, a tower built by British-Argentine citizens in the early 20th century to commemorate el Revolucion de Mayo, and el edificio Kavanagh, purportedly once the tallest building in South America and architecturally an art deco and modernist hybrid. I found both but am not sure whether it was worth the effort and the very long walk. I'll let you all decide.

El Torre Monumental. Construction completed in 1916. 

El Edificio Kavanagh. 

After walking several miles and being on my feet for more than three hours I decided it was time to call it a day. I didn't make it to all the museums I had wanted to see but at least I had the chance to explore a new neighborhood and had the opportunity to taste a little more of the history of this amazing city. 

Until next time, 

~Kyle... running around lost in Buenos Aires : )