How to Prepare Yerba Mate in a Gourd

Before you start

Drinking mate from a gourd is less a single brew than a long session. The gourd is packed with dry yerba, tilted so the leaves form a slope, and the bombilla, a metal straw with a filter at its base, is pushed into the damp side. Hot water goes in a little at a time and you sip each fill dry before adding more. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil the gourd is passed around a group, refilled by one person who acts as the server, or cebador.

Three things make or break it. Water that is too hot scalds the leaves and makes the first rounds harsh. Moving the bombilla once it is set clogs the filter with fine dust. And wetting the slope with cool water first protects the leaves and gives a smoother start. Get those right and one load of yerba yields fifteen or more rounds before it goes flat, or lavado.

Ingredients

• 25 to 40 g (about ½ to ⅔ of the gourd) yerba mate — con palo (with stems) is milder and easier for beginners
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) cool water — for wetting the slope
• 1 liter (about 4 cups) hot water — heated to 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F), kept in a thermos

Method

1. Heat the water to 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F). If you have no thermometer, stop the kettle when small bubbles cover the bottom and the first wisps of steam rise, well before a full boil. Pour it into the thermos.
2. Fill the gourd half to two-thirds with dry yerba. Cover the opening with your palm, turn the gourd upside down and shake gently a few times so the fine dust clings to your hand rather than settling at the bottom where it will clog the straw.
3. Tilt the gourd to about 45 degrees and shake softly so the yerba settles into a slope, high on one side and low on the other. Slowly bring it upright without collapsing the slope.
4. Pour the cool water into the low, hollow side and let it soak in for about a minute. The base of the slope should look dark and damp while the top stays dry.
5. Cover the end of the bombilla with your thumb and push it at an angle into the damp area until the filter touches the bottom of the gourd. Release your thumb. From now on do not stir or reposition it.
6. Pour hot water into the same hollow beside the bombilla, filling only to just below the dry top of the slope. Sip until you hear a gurgle, which means the gourd is empty. The first one or two rounds are the strongest and most bitter.
7. Refill in the same spot each time, letting the dry yerba on the high side wet a little more with each pour. When the flavor turns thin and the slope has collapsed into soggy leaves, the yerba is spent; empty it and start fresh.

Tips for success

• Season a new natural calabash before first use: fill it with spent yerba and warm water, leave it overnight, then scrape out the soft inner skin. Ceramic, glass and silicone gourds need no seasoning.
• In a group, the cebador drinks the first, harshest round and then serves everyone in turn. Saying thank you when you hand the gourd back means you do not want another round.
• Keep the dry top of the slope dry for as long as you can. It acts as a reserve of fresh flavor for later refills.

Substitutions

Yerba con palo

Despalada (stemless) yerba is stronger, dustier and more bitter; use slightly less and be extra careful not to move the bombilla. Brazilian chimarrão yerba is powdery and bright green and needs a wider gourd.

Gourd and bombilla

A French press or tea infuser gives a drinkable mate without the ritual. Use about 10 g per 250 ml at the same temperature and steep 3 to 5 minutes.

Plain hot water

Some drinkers add a strip of orange peel or a pinch of sugar to the water in the thermos. Sugar changes the taste of every round, so try it once before committing a whole session.

Variations

Mate cocido

Simmer 10 g of yerba in 250 ml of water for 2 minutes, strain, and serve with milk and sugar in a mug. It is gentler and common at breakfast.

Mate with herbs

Mix a few dried mint leaves, a little dried lemon verbena or a strip of dried citrus peel into the dry yerba before building the slope.

Troubleshooting

The bombilla is clogged and nothing comes through

Fine dust reached the filter, usually because the straw was moved or the yerba was not shaken first. Pull it out, clear the filter, and reinsert it into the damp side without stirring.

The first rounds taste scorched and harsh

The water was too hot. Let the thermos sit open for a few minutes or add a splash of cool water to bring it under 80°C (176°F).

The mate goes flat after a few rounds

The whole slope was soaked at once. Pour slowly into the hollow only, and keep the high side dry so it can feed flavor gradually.

Storage

Keep dry yerba in an airtight container away from light, heat and strong smells. After a session, empty the gourd, rinse it with hot water and let it dry upside down. A natural gourd left wet can grow mold, so never store it damp.

Safety notes

Yerba mate contains caffeine, and a long session with repeated refills can add up. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults, though sensitivity varies. Hot water and metal straws get very hot, so sip with care.