Here’s a simple illustration. Fill gourd roughly 1⁄2 capacity. Cover the top of gourd with palm, invert 180o and gently shake up and down, bringing fine particles to the top and leaving the larger ones below, to act as a natural filter.
The Bombilla
A bombilla is the straw that is used to drink the tea. Originally used hollow stalks and twigs. Over time, bombillas evolved into fine straws, usually made from metal.
When you brew the tea the traditional way, you are drinking it from a gourd. You are not supposed to sip the tea directly from the gourd, instead, you use a bombilla. The bombilla acts like a straw and a filter so that you can enjoy tea without the leaves coming into your mouth.
Preparing the Infusion
The most common way to make the infusion involves a careful arrangement of the leaves in the gourd before adding hot water. The gourd is filled one-half to three-quarters of the way with the leaves.
To prepare the infusion, make a cavity in your gourd before inserting your bombilla. Take a 3⁄4 full gourd full and rotate it at a 45-degree angle so the leaves fall to one side of the gourd. Insert your bombilla into the newly created free space. After inserting your bombilla, pour in your water and enjoy your drink! Once you’ve inserted your bombilla, don’t move it or use it to stir the leaves around. This will clog the bombilla’s filter.
- With a bombilla and gourd (traditional)
- With a tea strainer or cup
- By adding loose leaves directly to hot water
The bombilla and gourd method is the most traditional way. A gourd holds eight to twelve ounces.
The steps for preparing it traditionally are:
- First, pack the gourd one-half to three quarters full with the leaves.
- Then tilt the gourd at a 45-degree angle and form a cavity for inserting the bombilla.
- Insert the bombilla, water the leaves and enjoy the energizing infusion.
For tea strainer or cup, use a tea strainer or cup. Put leaves into the strainer and position over a mug. Pour hot water through strainer over the leaves. Let it steep 3-5 minutes.
To drink loose leaf infusion without any accessories, bring water just short of a boil and pour over leaves to desired strength in any cup. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes and drink.
Best Practices for Drinking
The traditional way to drink the infusion is from a mate cup or gourd using a bombilla straw. Spoon bombillas are the best straw for filtering and most practical when it comes to drinking mate.
Step 1: Heat water to 140o-170oF. Never use boiling water. Boiling water scalds the leaves and makes the mate taste extremely bitter. You also risk cracking your glass or wooden gourd.
By far, the most popular way is to follow the preparation style using a bombilla and gourd. The process can vary slightly from one culture to the next — but the basic principles remain the same. What You’ll Need: Your favorite brand of leaves. A gourd or mate cup.
Making amazing mate is very easy. Find the way that works for you. Here’s a guide on how to prepare the infusion and everything you need to start drinking including: What type of mate cup, what to look for in a bombilla, and types of the leaves.
Drinking from the Gourd
The traditional way to drink the infusion is from a mate cup or gourd using a bombilla straw. This allows you to easily filter out the leaves while drinking and fully appreciate the flavor. However, if you don’t have a mate cup or gourd, you can still prepare and drink mate in a regular cup using a spoon or small strainer to remove the leaves before drinking.
Here’s a guide on how to prepare the infusion and everything you need to start drinking including: What type of mate cup, what to look for in a bombilla, and types of the leaves.
This method requires some specific brewing techniques for a perfect cup. Once the bombilla is in place, pour hot water into the gourd, but be careful not to pour it directly onto the bombilla.