ENJOYING MATE
Yerba MATE can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from the traditional way drinking out of the gourd, to a more modern and convenient technique of brewing loose leaf in a teapot, or using a French press. With our range of Yerba MATE products, you can choose the option that suits you best.
As with any infusion, the quality of the water affects the flavor of your drink. Always aim to use clean, fresh water. Go for filtered water where possible, but avoid mineral water. Much like green tea, you should avoid pouring boiling water over Yerba MATE . Aim for 70-80°C.
Read on for a list of ways you can brew your Yerba MATE !
Argentinian way
The traditional way to enjoy a brew of Yerba MATE is drinking out of the gourd (calabash, wooden, and stainless steel). This adds a feeling of culture that has been done for centuries.
Curing your MATE gourd (ONLY for calabash and wooden gourd):
1- Rinse the gourd with warm water.
2- Fill up the gourd ¾ of its capacity with USED Yerba MATE.
3- Pour a little amount of 70-80°C water temperature until we see the water is coming up and we stop. We want to avoid it looking like soup.
4- Let the Yerba MATE sit in the gourd for around 15 hours.
5- Remove the Yerba MATE, scrape the gourd gently, with a teaspoon or the bottom of the bombilla straw and rinse it with warm water.
6- Dry the gourd with a paper towel/napkin, leave it in the sun or in an open place with good airflow for around 4 hours.
YOUR MATE GOURD IS READY !
It’s important to note that the curing process is necessary to do it only once and before we start to use the gourd.
Drinking MATE:
1) Heat the water in a kettle. Switch off the kettle when the first little bubbles come up. Otherwise boil water (100°C) and then add one full glass of tap/cold water to bring the temperature down to 70-80°C.
2) Place fresh Yerba MATE into the MATE gourd/cup, trying up to 1⁄2 or 3⁄4 full of the gourd/cup capacity.
3) Tilt the gourd/cup to give the Yerba MATE an angle shape.
4) Pour some water at the lowest part or bottom of the Yerba MATE until the water reaches the half of the angle/hill made on the last step.
5) We must wait for the Yerba MATE to absorb the water. We recommend waiting at least 3-5 minutes.
6) Insert the bombilla straw into the gourd/cup in the wet and lowest part of the Yerba MATE.
7) Let’s drink MATE!
8) Try to keep pouring hot water in the wet and lowest part of the Yerba MATE to enjoy the freshness of the Yerba MATE for around 1.5/2 litres of hot water or until we feel that we are tasting just hot water.
9) Pour water and sip, pour water and share it with your loved ones.
Cleaning and caring for your MATE gourd:
● Do you have a calabash or wooden gourd?
1) Once we finish drinking MATE, we throw the Yerba MATE out (It’s COMPOSTABLE!).
2) We leave the MATE gourd in open and dry places, to avoid mold and odors.
3) When we want to drink MATE again, with our fingers or a paper towel/napkin we remove the dry yerba MATE that was left in the gourd and we begin to prepare it again.
● Do you prefer to wash it?
1) Avoid using detergent, other chemicals or put it in the dishwasher.
2) Pour some tap water into the MATE gourd, stir with bombilla straw or teaspoon. Throw away the water and dry it with a paper towel/napkin.
3) Always leave it in an open place with good airflow. E.x. Kitchen bench, close to a window. Avoid cupboards or drawers, they are ideal to generate mold in our MATE gourds.
● Do you have a stainless steel, ceramic, glass gourd?
Clean it or wash it as you normally do with a regular mug.
5 - Why does the MATE gourd change to dark green/black inside?🧉