Do you have to drink mate out of a gourd?
Drinking mate out of a gourd results in a richer, more complex flavor. Some of this comes from the gourd itself. I’d say there are three advantages to a gourd:
- Claims exist that drinking from a gourd and bombilla extracts the most nutrients.
- I love the ritual of drinking mate from a gourd. It forces you to take time for the experience.
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Caring for Your Gourd
To ensure an enjoyable experience, regularly clean and dry the gourd after each use. This prevents mold and preserves flavor.
Simply using the gourd right away, without curing, extends its life. Gently scraping the inner walls every night is all you need. Over weeks, the gourd will naturally cure and form a patina. Once uniform, it stays completely dry.
Brewing Tips
In mate-drinking countries, hot, not boiling, water preserves bitterness. Customize later to your preference. Enjoying mate is no longer just for Argentinians. We can learn how.
To prepare mate:
- Gourd
- Bombilla
- Thermos
- Kettle
Fill gourd with leaves, palm on top, shake to mix dust. Tilt gourd, insert bombilla, fill.
Why Cure a Gourd?
- Introduce moist mate inside the gourd. You can use wet mate from another mate.
- Introduce warm water. This helps to disinfect and remove the dust.
- Let it sit for 24 hours.
- Remove the mate with a spoon.
- Scrape the skin to remove the membranes.
- Wipe with a napkin to remove the moisture.
- Let the mate rest in fresh air.
- Repeat these steps after a few minutes.
- Repeat this process 2-4 more times.
I’ve found that using the gourd right away, without any curing process, makes for a stronger gourd. Using the gourd and gently scraping out the walls every night after sipping mate is all you need to do. Over weeks, the gourd will cure on its own and form a dark patina on the walls. Once the color is uniform and debris have eroded, your gourd is cured.
Best Way to Drink Mate
Mate is a tea made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant native to South America. It has a flavor similar to green tea but more grassy and herbal. The caffeine level is typically between tea and coffee. Mate is prepared by steeping dried leaves in hot water – but not boiling – around 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It is drunk socially from a gourd using a special straw that filters out leaves. Sharing mate with friends is traditional, passing the gourd in a circle. Understanding the culture and etiquette around mate can allow one to fully appreciate its significance.
Mate provides many health benefits. It contains antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids and is nutritionally rich. The Pasteur Institute called it difficult to find another plant equaling mate’s nutritional value. It also gives an energy boost without the crash of coffee.
Either way, mate has a delicious flavor and both energizing and healthy effects.
How Long Does a Gourd Last?
Sharing mate with friends is traditional, passing the gourd in a circle. Understanding the culture and etiquette around mate can allow one to fully appreciate its significance.
The metal straw is used to stir the mixture and drink the mate. Hot water steeps the leaves and brings out their flavour.
This way of preparing mate gives you a mellow taste. Mate using a French press is an extremely easy way to prepare mate. Add mate to your French press and let it brew for a couple of minutes.
This is the way that we prepare our traditional mate. You will need mate, a mate gourd, a bombilla, and a thermos. Fill the yerba mate gourd to a little over 1/2. Turn the mate gourd upside down, and shake it a few times.