Young tea picker on the way between Cisaruat and the Puncak Pass - Java-West, Indonesia.

Tea time in the small village of I-n-Jitane (Niger, Erazer valley), in the middle of the Sahelian region.

The life of the gauchos is one of hard work, but also one marked by a liking for fun and celebration. Unlike celebrations in the Patagonian pampa, in north-western Argentina women always take part. This has undoubtedly been inherited from times of the Independence War, in which women played an important role. In the picture, Arturo und Marion Fernández are to be seen drinking mate at their finca in Campo Alegre, province of Salta.

Preparing tea at the Toufouchi camp site. (Aïr, Niger)

Although the first ray of sunshine usually sees him at work, the gaucho still finds time for socialising in the evening. Prepared and enjoyed with a "sacred" ritual, the bitter, slightly caffeinated mate makes you forget fatigue and pain. - Estancia La Mimosa, Ayacucho, Province Buenos Aires - 1976

Maté, the daily and almost ritual drink of the gaucho ... - Estancia La Luciana, Ayacucho, Province Buenos Aires - 1975

The ritual of the asado and the mate is repeated with each stage. - 1973

Arturo Fernandez and his wife during the mate ritual. - Estancia Campo Alegre, Province Salta - 1975

The tea water is boiled on an open fire. Targui Litni in Sidi Mohammed's camp on the track through the Hoggar. - Algeria - 1966

The preparation and tasting of green tea represent the most uniformly performed rite in the whole expanse of the Sahara, where coffee is practically unknown. There is an "etiquette of tea", and the way it is prepared and drunk is followed with a critical eye by the Tuareg. The Targuia of Illizi, Tassili n' Ajjer, stands out as much for the nobility of her bearing as the delicacy of her features. The Berber ancestry is very clear here. All the jewellery she wears is made of silver. The wealth of this "big tent" woman would undoubtedly allow her to own gold, but this metal is said to attract the evil eye. The Tuareg are extremely superstitious. - Algeria - 1966

The preparation of the tea is a ritual. The water is boiled on an open fire. - Algeria - 1962

The preparation of the tea is mainly a man's job. It requires all the seriousness of this Targui, who demonstrates his agility by filling the glasses from high up: He must not miss a drop. The kettle in the foreground stands on a charcoal fire. The teapot is generally the obligatory souvenir that the pilgrim brings back from Mecca. Traditionally made of brass, it is often replaced by an enamelled pot on the bottom of which you can read Made in Czechoslovakia. The tea is always very heavily sugared, and the great luxury is to add a sprig of mint, which gives it a very pleasant taste. The walls of the tent are made of an assaber, a very fine weave of split palm leaf ribs held together by thin leather straps. This is not only decorative, but also has the advantage of allowing the air to circulate and yet shielding the tent occupants from the outside and protecting them from the wind. - Algeria - 1966

The preparation of the tea is mainly a man's job. It requires all the seriousness of this Targui, who demonstrates his agility by filling the glasses from high up: He must not miss a drop. The teapot is generally the obligatory souvenir that the pilgrim brings back from Mecca. Traditionally made of brass, it is often replaced by an enamelled pot. The tea is always very heavily sugared, and the great luxury is to add a sprig of mint, which gives it a very pleasant taste. - Hoggar - Algeria - 1966