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Traditional Mate Preparation: Complete Guide

November 17, 2022

Time to read 1 min

Like matcha, tea or coffee, mate has its own preparation ritual .
Contrary to popular belief, this ritual is no longer or more restrictive than others, once you are used to it.

So, how do you prepare a traditional mate? What are the steps involved in preparing mate?

Summary

1. Equipment: The gourd for mate, the mate straw, the mate tea. 2. Preparing mate: How to prepare a thin-cut mate (Uruguayan style). 3. How to drink mate?

The equipment

Good quality mate accessories are necessary for preparing a good infusion.
Indeed, they are the basis of your preparation, like a good pan for cooking.

To prepare a traditional maté , you will need:

A mate gourd (or mate cup)
A bombilla (or mate straw)
A yerba mate
Hot water, preferably in a thermos.

The gourd for maté

It will serve as a container for the infusion. We will add the yerba mate and water to it. There are several types of mate gourds; some are made of wood, others of stainless steel, glass, or even bamboo.

But the most commonly used calabash comes from the gourd .
We also have a wide variety of gourds , such as the Torpedo , Camionero or Imperial , with our artisanal touch on the smooth, chiseled or bronze-plated rim.

Imperial gourd

Mate straw

The bombilla is used to filter the infusion of its leaves. With a good quality bombilla, you won't get any leaves in your mouth.

We also offer bombillas in stainless steel, alpaca or even silver.

Mate

The taste of the infusion will be greatly influenced by the yerba mate you use.

If you prefer a herb with a low bitterness, we recommend green yerba . It is young and vegetal.

For a more intense yerba with a measured bitterness, try the 12-month or 24-month aged varieties. For even more bitterness, we recommend the slightly powdery Uruguayan yerba .

Do you like coffee? Roasted maté is for you.