Buying Guide: How to Choose Your Mate Gourd

Produced in a factory, the manufacture of a stainless steel gourd is simple. All you need is a basic model and stainless steel to be able to produce in large quantities.

Most often, they are accompanied by a double wall to prevent burns and contain heat .

This mate cup is appreciated by consumers wanting to start drinking mate in a gourd.

Indeed, it is very affordable, easy to maintain and resistant . Being made of steel, cleaning the mate gourd is not necessary.

As disadvantages, we noticed that the well is more difficult to form. The walls being smooth, the grip of the yerba mate is less good.

Without the well, the infusion of the mate leaves will not be controlled and the intensity of the yerba will be stronger .

Finally, the stainless steel cup is not handmade . These are very useful gourds for nomadic consumption, at the office or for the térére. Unfortunately, it does not offer all the taste subtlety of a squash gourd.

Natural artisanal gourds come from squash , a fruit from the cucurbitaceae family!

The growth of a squash

The agricultural work begins with the harvest and selection of squashes in South America. In fact, it is necessary to find squashes suitable for mate consumption, neither too big nor too small.

The shape and thickness of the gourds are therefore important and have given rise to several types of gourds: Torpedo , Imperial or even Camionero .

After harvesting, the squashes are emptied and dried for 6 months , then selected before artisanal work.

Drying squash

The craft begins with the installation of the feet and the leather .

The feet hold the gourd upright and the leather serves, in addition to the thickness of the walls, to insulate it from the hot water.

Aesthetics are also part of the craftsmanship of the mate gourd. Indeed, the artisans usually add a circle (virola) around the “boca”, the opening of the mate cup.

The hoop can be made from stainless steel, Alpaca, Bronze, Silver or even Gold !

Engravings can also be added, on the leather or on the strapping.

You can discover these mate gourds in our shop

The craft work for making a gourd

Making a gourd mate cup is a long process. In fact, it can take up to 2 years for the largest gourds, including the growing time. This makes it rare and more difficult to access than the steel gourd.

The natural gourd requires special attention before the first consumption of mate: it must be cured.

Curing serves to protect your gourd: the tannins present in the mate will create a protective layer and will also improve the flavor of your mate.

For more information on cleaning a gourd , we invite you to consult our blog article.

In addition, the maintenance of the gourd , although very simple , is necessary.

We invite you to carefully empty the yerba mate from the mate cup, and to clean it with hot water after each use .

What we love about the gourd are the values ​​it reflects. Indeed, it allows us to travel for a short time to South America, due to its type of traditional mate consumption and its originality .

Also, it brings an additional flavor to the mate thanks to the tannins, fixed to the walls of the gourd, accentuating the taste of the yerba mate.