Preparing mate
Maté, from the yerba maté plant, is an emblematic beverage of Latin American culture and a real concentrate of goodness. While it's perfectly possible to simply brew it in a conventional teapot, it's a real pleasure to prepare it in the traditional way, using dedicated accessories such as the bombilla and calabash.
Maté pipette - Bombilla
Isothermal calabash
Maté pot - Calebasse
Bombilla and calabash for a daily ritual
To drink mate in the traditional way, two accessories are essential: the mate pot, also known as the "calabash", and the "bombilla", a stainless steel straw for filtering the infusion.
Should I prepare my new calabash before using it for the first time?
If you've just bought a calabash, it's essential to first clean it for 2 days. This step, similar to cupping an earthenware teapot with tea, involves preparing your calabash for maté infusion to improve its taste.
Here's how it works:
- Fill your calabash ¾ full with organic mate, then pour in hot water to the brim.
- Leave to stand for 48 hours, topping up when the water no longer reaches the rim.
- Empty the calabash and, using a teaspoon, gently scrape off any impurities from the sides. Your mate pot is now ready to use!
What are the steps involved in preparing mate?
Step 1: Fill your calabash ¾ full with green mate. Place the palm of your hand over the opening and turn it over several times so that the fine maté particles rise to the surface.
Step 2: Gently tilt the calabash so that the mate leaves form a heap on one side, and place the bombilla on the other side left empty.
Step 3: Pour room-temperature water into the hollowed-out part up to halfway up. The leaves begin to swell and hydrate.
Step 4: Pour the simmering water (95°C) still in the hollow around the bombilla and fill to about ¾ of the way up, taking care to leave a few dry leaves on the surface, and drink. This first infusion will be the most bitter.
Step 5: As the infusions progress, the top leaves infuse in turn and the drink becomes sweeter.
Step 6: To clean your calabash, empty the mate into a compost bin if possible, and rinse with lukewarm water, always without soap. Then simply leave to air-dry.