Mate Gourd and Bombilla

Mate Gourd and Bombilla Ritual:

My great aunt has always loved Yerba Mate yerbamateculture

Mike Stromwall joins our family tradition yerbamateculture

"I have been drinking Yerba Mate for about a month and I have noticed that my energy level has greatly increased. I drink a cup prior to going to the gym and I am truly energized. In fact, I am now exercising for three to four hours each time I go to the gym. Yerba Mate also relaxes me and makes me feel that all is right with the world. It is a great stress buster. I am hooked!!!!!"

Erma Barnes
Parole Officer
Chesapeake, Virginia

"This tea is the best! It helps me feel my best! I am in a better mood and sleep better and am much more active!"

Gina Renteria
Food Service
Ruebens, Idaho

It is common to see men and women walking around in shopping malls and on beaches carrying their Mate gourds and thermoses of hot water. People who drink mate do it as an entertainment form. Part of the new, more informal way of life in Uruguay includes having mate drinkers drinking while going for walks, while at sporting events, picnics, and it is popular among many student activities.

The "matero" carries his gourd (mate) containing the yerba and the bombilla in one hand, while carrying a thermos of luke-warm water under his arm. In general, mate is consumed in the morning or afternoon between meals. Mate drinking is often a shared ritual spirited with friends and family. The matero prepares and tries the mate. Then, he passes the mate to another group member who drinks his prepared drink. Some people prefer to prepare and drink from their own mate..

The yerba mate
Yerba mate comes from a tree, "Ilex Paraguariensis", cultivated in South America. The yerba is the leaves; dried and crushed to make a tea-like herb. Nativa is, in our opinion, the most flavorful available. The Governor of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, designates yerba by grades, designating a premium yerba as one that contains no "palo", or the stem of the tree, which lessens the quality of the blend. You may add sugar or honey to sweeten the yerba as the Argentineans do, or drink it plain as we do in Uruguay. It's a wonderful and healthy coffee substitute, and a good way to stimulate conversation.

The bombilla
To drink mate the traditional way you will need a Bombilla. These filter the leaves out of your mate drink. Bombillas are typically bronze-based and plated with other durable metals. Those made of solid Gold, Stainless Steel, or other durable metals can last many decades of daily use.