Monday, January 23, 2012

YERBA MATE

An ubiquitous sight in parts of South America is people drinking out of gourds.  The gourds are rather small, so people also carry thermoses filled with water to continually add to the gourd to extend the tea.  It is also tradition that the beverage is shared; and it is delightful watching people in public share their beverage with their friends.  Our guide in Buenos Aires told us about the beverage "yerba mate" (pronounced "yurba matay").

"Traditionally, yerba mate tea is drunk from a gourd, called a mate, in which it is prepared by steeping the processed dried yerba mate leaves in hot, but not boiling, water.  It is then sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla which has holes in it to let the liquid come through, but filters out the leaves.  The gourd is traditionally a natural gourd such as calabash."*

Curiosity got the best of me and our guide, Mariella, helped me purchase a mate and bombilla.  After curing the mate over the past two days, today I got my first taste of yerba mate.  I would characterize the taste as herbal, slightly smoky and smooth, and I will continue drinking it until it is gone.  I'm not sure if I can buy yerba mate locally, but it is easily available on-line.

YERBA MATE AND BOMBILLA.

BOMBILLA.

LADDY WAS VERY CURIOUS!  I BET HE THOUGHT THERE WAS CATNIP IN IT! 

THERE ARE SO MANY MATE OPTIONS BUT I LIKED THIS ONE.  IT LOOKS LIKE KEVIN AND ME DOING THE TANGO - A METAPHOR FOR OUR TRIP TO SOUTH AMERICA.
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3 comments:

  1. ColetteJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:19 AM

    How fun! What did "curing" the mate involve?

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  2. Foodie-BeeJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    Thanks for asking! Curing is necessary to remove the bitter taste of the gourd. The gourd is filled 3/4 full with yerba mate and boiling water is added slowly to allow it to soak in and to fill the entire gourd. It then sits for 24 hours before being emptied, rinsed and scraped to remove the gourd flakes. I did this twice. After using, the gourd is cleaned out and stored in the refrigerator until dry. The bombilla can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Next time you're over how about if we share a yerba mate?

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  3. ColetteJanuary 25, 2012 at 9:01 AM

    I think sharing a yerba mate sounds like a great idea! I can't wait. :)

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