Holidaymakers who book flights to Buenos Aires with  Aerolineas Argentinas should not leave Argentina without trying one of the city's most famous drinks - mate.

Visitors to the nation may be surprised to see people clutching their thermos flasks, even in the hottest of heatwaves, but this is testament to the importance people place on the drink.

Heather Carswell, spokesperson for Lonely Planet, observed that there is a ritual involved in its preparation.

"The way to drink mate is to put it in the container, cover it with your hand and shake it a couple of times, pour very hot water in it and let it simmer for 30 seconds. It is drunk through a silver straw - called a bombilla," she said.

She observed that there is even an informal etiquette in serving and consuming the beverage, which is often passed around among friends.

Those who are offered a mate should ensure they finish the drink - as it is polite to do so - and should not touch or move the bombilla.

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