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Making a mate gourd: Discover the 6 key steps

December 9, 2020

Time to read 1 min

The gourd is the essential tool for consuming yerba mate . Indeed, the gourd is used to prepare mate, along with the mate bombilla.

So, what are the 6 steps involved in making a handcrafted mate gourd? How long does it take to make?

Summary

1. Origin of the gourd: Agriculture and harvesting 2. Handcrafted production 3. Preparing your gourd for maté before first use: What is the purpose of cleaning? How to clean your handcrafted gourd? 4. Properly maintaining your gourd for maté

Origin of the calabash: Agriculture and harvesting

The growth of mate gourds

The traditional, handcrafted mate gourd is made from a fruit, the gourd.

We find the best squash in the rather temperate climate of southern Brazil, in South America.

The first step in making a mate gourd is to select a very resistant gourd. Its thickness is an important criterion for its resistance, between 1 and 2 cm for our handcrafted gourds compared to 0.2 to 0.5 cm for ordinary gourds.

Size also influences the selection, as we want a gourd suitable for consuming yerba mate, capable of holding between 200 and 500 ml. Therefore, we will have to wait 6 to 12 months to obtain the perfect size.

After selection, we can cut the gourd, hollow it out, and dry it. During drying, it will harden and acquire the resistant properties of wood. The drying time is approximately 6 months .

We can now move on to the craft work.