The Paraguay Embassy decided to take an unconventional route when introducing one of its most beloved national products.

Instead of hosting a lavish reception and inviting businesspeople to explain the benefits of mate tea, the embassy invited business English students from Konkuk University.

“For Paraguayan diplomats, it’s important to reach out to young people,” Paraguay Ambassador Ceferino Valdez told The Korea Herald.

“This way when they get older and enter the business world they will want to work with Paraguayan companies,” he added.

Mate tea is a traditional South American infused drink enjoyed not only in Paraguay but also Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

During the presentation, Valdez prepared the steeping dried leaves known as yerba mate, in hot water.

The tea is served with a metal straw from a shared hollow gourd or thermos.

Konkuk University business English professor Min Byung-chul explained that there were different aspects to the field trip for his 113 students.

“They are learning how to create and run a virtual company,” said Min. “Since they are learning business English, it’s important for them to learn about other cultures as well and as other countries.”

Valdez explained that mate tea is enjoyed with friends, generally sitting in a circle with the youngest one of the group first serving the eldest and then going around clockwise serving everyone else. The infused drink can only be enjoyed once the eldest of the group takes his first sip.

“They also learn global leadership because hopefully, some of the students will become international businesspeople,” said Min.

Before that possible dream comes to fruition, students will be hired, on a volunteer basis, as public relations ambassadors for the Paraguayan Embassy.

They will talk about the country, its products and cultures to their families and friends while working with the embassy helping with events and translating articles in local vernacular newspapers.

“We want to show our culture, tea is a touch of friendship, you only drink mate with friends so this means we are sharing friendship with Paraguay and Korea,” said Valdez.

The tea is also steeped in legend.

The Guarani, indigenous people of Paraguay, say that the goddesses of the moon and the clouds visited earth and found a jaguar that was about to attack them. An old man saved them and in return, the goddesses gave the old man a new kind of plant from which he could prepare a drink of friendship.

Mate tea is sold on local shelves and marketed as a dietetic drink.

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldcorp.com)