Consuming Yerba Mate the Traditional Way

Mate is also known as chimarrao. It’s the South American prepared beverage. The mate drink is served in a special and unique way. It is served with a metal straw from a shared calabash gourd. In Latin American states it is known as bombilla. The modern design of a bombilla is a straight tube with little holes on the end so when you sip the yerba mate you clear out the Yerba Mate leaves.

Mate is the national drink of Argentina nevertheless it is highly regarded in other countries all over the world. The yerba mate drinking ritual is believed to be good not only for body but also for the soul. Many drink yerba mate as a form of social entertainment. It is highly popular in student activities like sporting events, work, and so on.

Yerba mate is enjoyed in the morning and afternoon between meals. According to practice, a Mate cup or gourd and bombilla set is a standard gift for family and friends. To drink yerba mate according to the traditions you want a Bombilla. This helps filter leaves out from the yerba mate tea. It is formed from all sorts of different valuable metals, from nickel, bronze, stainless-steel, gold plated and silver plated. A bombilla made with tougher metals can go on for many decades of day-to-day use. Many Gourd and bombilla sets are decorated by hand. This gives each set a very unique look. No two sets are the same.

Yerba mate tea leaves comes from “Ilex Paraguariensis” and are cultivated in the South America rainforests. The leaves are first dried and crushed. A premium yerba doesn’t contain any stems because the stem can reduce the quality of blend. The “Nativa” is the best blend of 100% yerba mate leaves. These are cultivated from mature, wild trees.

Each culture has its deep-routed preferences as to temperature, taste and size of the Mate gourd. You can add honey or sugar to the yerba mate to enhance the flavour to fit your individual preference. Yerba mate is a good alternative option to coffee. Yerba mate can be enjoyed on daily basis. You can even add other medicinal herbs for health reasons. During the past, many would add these herbs in the thermos. But now in present times, many tea companies simply add them to their unique yerba mate blend.

Enjoying yerba mate in the conventional way can have a strong earthy taste that might be a little overpowering. Drinking it this way has more medicinal effects but you might want to work your way up to this point.

Thomas Egbert has written many articles about the holy mate drink and its advantages. To learn more and buy tea online you may visit the Fusion Tea Room web site.