Yerba Maté Gourd Preparation & Use

Warning:
Boiling water can burn your mouth and also harms the yerba maté.
Do not put boiling water in the gourd or your gourd may crack.

The Yerba Maté gourd, known as cabaça, calabaza, cuia or porongo, is made from the fruit of a gourd vine (Iagenaria siceraria, family: Cucurbitaceae). Its preferred size and shape vary from region to region. These natural gourds are widely tailored and decorated, taking on various forms and colors, according to each gaucho’s taste. Maté Factor gourds are harvested and prepared in the traditional fashion, naturally treated and individually decorated on the outside by a craftsman. The finished gourd, being natural, will have its own unique characteristics. Both on the inside, and on the outside the gourd may show dark brown or grey stains that characterize the plant. These should not be seen as deformities or blemishes, but rather as natural markings.

How to Cure Your Yerba Maté Gourd

For your gourd to be ready for use, it needs to be cured. This prevents cracking, molding, and improves the flavour of your yerba maté. You will notice that the longer you use your gourd, the better your Yerba Maté will taste.

Please Note: The use of ashes, described above, is optional. If you do not have access to ashes, simply follow the instructions above (cure with just water & maté), but only let the gourd sit for 1 to 2 days.

Taking Good Care of Your Yerba Maté Gourd

After you have cured your gourd and are using it, it is essential that you know how to take good care of it. A good gourd should last you a long time, giving you years of flavourful Yerba Maté drinking. First of all, the gourd should never be dropped. Although it may not look delicate, the gourd is like a piece of fine china. If dropped or abused, small cracks may begin to form which increase with time, creating leaks and compromising your gourd. The gourd is also prone to mold if not dried correctly. To keep your gourd dry between uses, rinse it out well with running water and position it in a well-ventilated, warm place, preferably at a 45° angle so that circulating air flows through the gourd. Optionally, reserve a cotton cloth to dry excess water after rinsing the gourd. If mold appears (usually white or black “furry” spots) once the gourd is cured, rinse the gourd in scalding water. You may, as an option, use a little hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), then rinse thoroughly with water. Cure the gourd with ashes again to remove and destroy any residue left by the mold.

The instructions provided in case of mold are intended to instruct our customers on how the native peoples traditionally deal with molding gourds.

Drinking Yerba Maté From a Gourd - Basic Instruction

Method 1

1. Put bombilla in empty gourd and let rest at an angle against the top of the gourd.
2. Fill the gourd 2/3 full of maté leaves.
3. Pour hot (not boiling) water on top of the leaves and sip through the bombilla.
4. Refill and drink until the mate is not strong enough anymore. The first few sips may allow some leaves to come through, but it seals as the maté expands around the bombilla.

Method 2

1. Fill your gourd 2/3 full of hot (not boiling) water.
2. Place bombilla in the water and let it rest at an angle against the top of the gourd.
3. Pour mate leaves on top of the water, letting them mound up.
4. Poke about a 1/2 inch hole in the maté mound on the opposite side to where the bombilla is resting.
5. Sip through the bombilla and then re-pour with water through the hole.
6. The first run may allow some leaves to get through, but then it seals as the maté expands and sinks to the bottom around the bombilla.

Warning:
Boiling water can burn your mouth and also harms the yerba maté.
Do not put boiling water in the gourd or your gourd may crack.

Fill 'yer gourd with fresh green yerba maté!