Find out how to prepare mate the traditional way

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.

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Handcrafted in bamboo

Maté pipette - Bombilla

€11.67

Handcrafted in stainless steel - Argentina

Maté pipette - Bombilla

€12.08

Integrated pipette - Wood effect - 350 ml

Isothermal calabash

€26.21

Maté pot - Maté gourd - Les Jardins de Gaïa

Metal edge - Les Jardins de Gaïa

Maté pot - Calebasse

€16.67

How to prepare mate and enjoy its many benefits*?

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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.