Accessories for yerba mate

A brief history of Yerba Mate brewing vessels

Yerba Mate tea is brewed in a matero - a cup that is usually made of calabash, ceramic or clay, while a bombilla - a tube with a filter - is used to drink the brew. This is directly related to the traditional way of brewing this property-rich tea, which began thousands of years ago.

At the very beginning, the Indians merely chewed the picked leaves of the Paraguayan holly. Over time, however, they noticed that the leaves could be combined with water. To make the brew, they used a matero - a clay vessel - and a bombilla made at the time from young reed stalks. However, these tubes were not the best idea - the lack of a filter caused pieces of dried leaves to enter the mouth. Over the years, new vessels were improved and invented, whose main task was to pass the test of strength. The prototype of today's bombilla was a blind-ended bamboo tube, full of small holes.

Drinking the holly brew slowly became a ritual that accompanied family and social gatherings. Yerba Mate was seen as a special drink, so the priority of drinking was always given to the highest-ranking person, who then passed the cup to the rest of the guests - in order from most important to least important.

Characteristics of the vessels for Yerba Mate

Matero

A matero is commonly referred to as a "Yerba Mate cup." There's a lot of truth in that, although it's no ordinary vessel. It is of great importance in the taste of the prepared tea; depending on the material from which the vessel is made, we can expect a resinous, pleasant, natural aftertaste or a completely neutral one in the case of a matero made of glass.

The most common material chosen to create a "cup" is the common calabash - a tropical plant whose fruit is the basis for making a metero. The whole fruit is then specially prepared - inside, on the walls, there are dried remnants of pulp, which, after receiving the product, should be cleaned with the help of dried Yerba Mate. This simple process, closing in just a few steps, is called "currado" and is essential to enjoy the delicious taste of Yerba Mate.

Other products, which require less time in preparing the vessel, are ceramic mattos. The multitude of colors and designs encourages drinking the brew, and it is the perfect gift for Yerba Mate tea lovers.

Bombilla

Bombilla is designed to block the powdered leaves, which could get into our mouths while drinking. It does this extremely effectively - it is finished with a fine strainer, which does not let the dried material through. Thanks to it, we can enjoy the delicious taste of Yerba Mate without worrying about getting particles into our mouths.

A bombilla with a flat filter will work best for fine dried food, while a spiral one will be suitable for coarser dried food.

Yerba mate starter kit

Every type of Yerba Mate and special, dedicated vessels are available in our online store. For both beginners and true connoisseurs of this tea, we have available sets consisting of 400g, perfectly stimulating, Yerba Mate, together with a ceramic matero, available in various colors. Each set also comes with a metal bombilla.