How to brew Yerba Mate in Paraguayan style?

Travelers who have only basic accessories at their disposal during the trip will teach us an easy way to brew Yerba Mate: a cup, a tube and a thermos with hot water. Brewing Yerba Mate in the Paraguayan style is one of many ways to drink this drink. Everyone can brew Yerba Mate in their own way, the way they like and there are no strict rules. You can also approach the topic as an important ceremony and brew Yerba Mate to be consumed in a circle. Learn how to brew Yerba Mate at home, in the office or while traveling.

How to prepare Yerba Mate without strictly following the rules?

Brewing Yerba Mate in the Paraguayan style is an unceremonious method, recommended when you do not want to devote too much time and attention to preparing a drink from dried leaves. Place a portion of the herb in a cup – up to about 1/3 – 2/3 of the capacity, insert the tube, or rather stick it in the middle, pour warm water at a temperature of 70-80 degrees Celsius and wait 5 minutes.  The aroma of the infusion depends not only on the quantity and quality of the herb, but also on the vessel. You brew regular tea in an ordinary mug, and  the best Yerba Mate is made in a vessel made of Palo Santo – rosewood with a unique aroma . The outer shell of this vessel is made of stainless steel. In South America, it is recommended to spit out the first sip of holly infusion because some dust gets into the bombilla when it is inserted into the herbs, so it is worth drinking Yerba Mate from the second sip. Natural gourds and rosewood carry the risk of bacterial and fungal growth, which is why Yerbador ceramic matero dishes, made of cadmium, molybdenum and lead-free enamel, are extremely popular. 

Yerba Mate accessories – how to brew easily and pleasantly?

At the beginning of your adventure with Yerba Mate, preparing the drink may seem a bit complicated. However, appearances can be deceptive, and once you get the basic accessories, you will quickly find that it is simple and intuitive. You need to buy herbs for Yerba Mate, an appropriately sized gourd-shaped vessel, a metal tube with a strainer and, of course, water at the appropriate temperature and, most importantly, a thermos with water for subsequent Yerba Mate pours. How to prepare for brewing Yerba? Essential accessories for Yerba Mate are matero and bombilla.

Yerba Mate drinking vessel

Matero  is a profiled cup for brewing Yerba Mate, in which the flavor of the infusion can fully emerge from the bottom of the vessel. The Guarani Indians used to use a hollow gourd to brew Yerba. Currently, the most appreciated dishes are made of Palo Santo wood and covered with stainless steel or ceramics. Preparing Yerba in an ordinary cup takes away the unique taste of the drink, and consuming it loses its unique charm. Natural tableware made of wood or ceramic made of glazed clay has many advantages.  These handmade eco-friendly mugs are one of a kind. The material from which Yerba Mate drinking vessels are made has a real impact on the taste and aroma of the infusion, adding unique notes to it.

Contoured herb spoons

Bombilla, matero and a thermos with hot water are accessories that will help you recognize a true Yerba Mate lover. He doesn’t part with them even when he’s away from home – at work, while traveling or camping in the wilderness. Bombilla  is a slightly bent metal tube with a strainer at the end that drains the infusion from the grounds. You can use it as a teaspoon for dried herbs, stir the Yerba Mate infusion after adding water, and use it to help clean the walls of the vessel from coffee grounds before brewing a new portion. Dried Yerba Mate is much finer than classic tea . Sipping Yerba without bombilla is not as pleasant because dust particles may get inside. This is not a problem, after all, it is health and rich in nutrients.  Bombillas are equipped with various tips, adapted to the type of herb and brewing method, as well as the individual needs of the person drinking the holly infusion.

The water temperature, which will not burn Yerba Mate and will allow you to obtain the best taste of the infusion, is 70-80 degrees Celsius. Boiling water straight from the kettle will be too hot immediately after boiling . Virtually any thermos or thermal mug that keeps heat for a long time will work well when traveling. Additional accessories may include a handy thermometer and a brush for cleaning the tube, but brewing Yerba and drinking the infusion will also be fully satisfactory without them.

Yerba Mate – how to brew properly?

Beginners who come to our store for the first time, before they find their favorite way to brew Yerba Mate, usually want to know how to brew herbs according to the rules. Paraguayan holly ( Ilex paraguariensis ) is a natural raw material for the production of Yerba Mate. This plant grows in South America in a region of 4 countries: Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina – in the land of Yerbador. This is not ordinary black tea that you pour boiling water over. Yerba Mate and green tea have something in common – both infusions should be made with cooled water at a temperature of 70-80 degrees Celsius. Yerba can be drunk cold  or warm.

Traditional way of preparing Yerba Mate:

• Pour the dried herbs into the vessel up to 3/4 of the cup’s volume. The more herb, the stronger the infusion. Check  how to dose Yerba Mate .
• Tilt the vessel so that the herb moves towards the wall and exposes the bottom.
• Insert the bombilla into the hole all the way to the bottom with the filter side down.
• Pour a small amount of cool water at the bottom and wait until the liquid soaks into the herb. This disappearance of water is called “a sip for St. Thomas”.
• Pour hot, but not boiling water (70-80°C) over the whole thing and wait about 5 minutes.

The ritual of preparing Yerba Mate in a circle

The local Paraguayan way of brewing Yerba Mate and the traditional method with a sip for Saint. Thomas is complemented by the ritual of brewing and drinking Yerba in a circle. The mate ceremony is led by the host Cebador. He prepares the infusion, drinks the first sip, pours it and passes it on. The Argentine Mate Ceremony ritual   is colorfully illustrated with the art of the Guarani people.