All you need is a gourd, loose leaf tea, and hot water along with your bombilla for filtering your leaves from the gourd. A gourd is typically made from a calabash squash and varies in shape and size and possesses a very hard shell. The traditional gourd is made from a fruit of a gourd vine. Whether it is made from squash, wood, glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or silicone, we believe that there is a gourd for everybody.
Preparing Yerba Mate
Some things to consider when trying to figure out how to make the South American tea in a gourd are what are the side effects, can you make it in a teapot, is mate a drug, and is mate a laxative. A round gourd is usually a small one used by a single person and can be passed around in a mate circle.
There are also cylinder-shaped gourds, which are often made from bamboo and used mainly for drinking tereré. Gourds are used in many countries in different ways. Nowadays, mate can be consumed in many ways, and there are gourds made of various materials on the market. Each gourd is a piece of art.
Using a Mate Cup and Straw
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about using and preparing the yerba, including how to use a mate cup and straw. By the end of this guide, you’ll be an expert! Mate cups, also known as gourds, are traditionally made from a hollowed-out gourd. Bulbs can be made from glass, metal, or silicone and used with different types of teas.
To prepare mate, fill the gourd with leaves and pour hot water over the leaves. The traditional way requires delicate care and attention. But you’re rewarded with a delicious infusion. You’ll need a gourd, bombilla straw, and leaves. Gourds come in all shapes, sizes, and materials.
These were initially hollowed-out gourds, but today you can purchase manufactured ones. After placing the herb inside, shake or crush it. Then pour hot water into the gourd or mug. The main benefit of drinking traditionally is extracting all the goodness your yerba has to offer.
The South American tea is made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis tree native to South America. It is a popular beverage in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It provides a gentle, clean energy boost compared to coffee or energy drinks. It contains caffeine, theobromine and antioxidants.
The taste is earthy, similar to soil or grass. It can be an acquired taste. The leaves are dried, chopped and steeped in hot water to make the tea. Traditionally, it is shared communally in a gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla over several hours.
It gives an euphoric feeling, though not psychedelic. The mental clarity rises and declines steadily, unlike the buzz then crash of coffee.
To prepare:
- Boil water
- Place leaves in a French press
- Pour hot water and let steep 10 minutes
- Add more hot water as needed
People gather in nature to pass around the gourd and bombilla. This creates a bond between those gathered.
Why drink yerba mate with a straw?
The preparation consists of filling a container with yerba, pouring hot water over the leaves, and drinking with a straw. The straw acts as a filter. The bombilla is traditionally made of silver. The gourd is known as a mate or a guampa.
It is a small bush that produces leaves used to make tea. The plant is native to southern South America. There are 4 main components that make up drinking:
- Gourd. The basic cup is made from a gourd.
- Metal Straw (bombilla). Instead of straining normal tea, yerba mate is placed into a gourd and a metal straw is placed into it.
Billions of people start the day with coffee or tea, but in some parts of South America people wake up with yerba mate. It was called “the drink of the gods” by indigenous South Americans and “the green gold of the Indios” by European settlers.
It is a tea-like drink from South America. It has caffeine like coffee. But it has more vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals than coffee or energy drinks. It makes you more alert and focused. It helps concentration and fights tiredness.
Yerba mate grows on a holly plant in rainforests in parts of South America. The best tasting uses leaves grown in shade. These leaves have more flavor and nutrients.
To brew tea, you will need: a mate gourd, a bombilla (straw), hot water and yerba mate. Fill your mate cup with 3/4 dried leaves. Cover and shake it at a 45 degree slope. Add a little hot water to moisten the leaves and create a paste. Immerse the bombilla and add more hot water from the side where it is located. At this point you can start drinking.
A cup a day is usually fine. But pregnant women should ask doctors before drinking lots of yerba mate. Too much may risk low baby weight.
Yerba mate is used in traditional medicine. It may help weight loss, digestion, immunity and wellbeing. People worldwide now enjoy this South American drink.