The Traditional Method

This method is the easiest, safest, and best method to drink Yerba Mate in order to benefit from its nutritional and chemical content. It is also the world's most popular method. It is often enjoyed alone or with the addition of breads, sweets, croissants, crackers, etc. It is generally consumed 3-5 times per day in Yerba Mate cultures; current research supports drinking tea throughout the day using this method.

• Advantages
  • Extracts the most nutrients with the least amount of water.
  • The use of the gourd and bombilla are the easiest, safest, and best method to drink Yerba Mate in order to benefit from its nutritional and chemical content.
• Disadvantages
• The greatest number of steps to master its preparation. All other methods require less steps in the preparation of the tea
• Requires the development of a relationship between you and a gourd..

Easiest Explanation

1. Pour some yerba mate into your cured gourd.

2. Pour warm water onto part of the yerba mate.

3. Relax as the yerba mate awakens.

4. Put straw into the yerba mate.

5. Pour in hot water and drink.

Popular Mate Flavors or Additives

Many prefer the taste of the Yerba Mate by itself, while others like to accentuate the flavor with different additives. It is popularly consumed with more than plain water; people add a variety of flavors. Many of the Yerba Mate brands are already distributed with additives such as dried orange peels or mint.

• Some of the more popular additives
  • orange peels
  • mango peels
  • lemon peels
  • grapefruit peels
  • santa lucia
  • medicinal herbs
  • ginger
  • mint
  • stevia
  • honey
  • cinnamon stick
  • sugar
  • milk
  • oat milk
  • soy milk

Some of these items are available premixed with the tea, others can be added on your own. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Yerba Mate drinkers have experimented with an endless variety of additional additives such as a teaspoon of coffee, lemongrass, vanilla, or rooibos.. Any of these additives (including milks) are added directly into the gourd when drinking Yerba Mate..

Detailed Explanation

1. 
   Fill cured gourd between a little more than half full to 2/3 full of yerba mate and optional smaller dried additives (e.g., other herbs or small fruit peels). Tilt gourd until yerba mate and additives are along side of gourd arriving near the top (shown in green).
2. 
   Optional Step- Cover with hand, turn upside down, and shake vigorously to help prepare the yerba mate. This moves the smaller leaf particles to the top in order to prevent the straw (bombilla) from clogging. Turn it back over carefully on its side. Try to keep the yerba inclined along one side during the entire preparation and drinking process.
3. Before the straw (bombilla) is put in, pour slightly hot water onto the bottom half of the yerba mate. Only a little tepid water (140-158 degrees Fahrenheit or 60-70 degrees Celsius) is added to the bottom half of the tea.
4. Wait until the water disappears. The water will soak into the yerba and allow it to become moist. This helps awaken the tea.
   

5. Insert filter end of straw at an angle into the deepest part of the yerba mate as the above image demonstrates. Straw may be used to first pack the yerba mate along side of gourd if tea has fallen.

6. Pour hot water that is not boiling onto the base of the yerba mate, then drink. Try to wet as little of the yerba near the top when filling the gourd with water. The temperature of the water is a personal choice. Do not use very hot water; as one could burn the throat. This concept applies to all hot liquids: very hot coffee, soup, or tea is dangerous for our throats. Still, people will push the boundaries in an effort to extract even more chemicals and nutrients or for the pleasure they might find in drinking very hot drinks. Don't burn yourself: find a safe level between (160-185 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 - 85 degrees Celsius).

7. Drink! Optional: add larger additives like mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, honey, or lemon juice (to name a few) into the gourd as desired.

• Some people love the first sip because it is the most nutrient rich. Others do not like the first sip because it is either too strong or the temperature of the tea is too cool for their enjoyment. For those that dislike the first sip, they will discard it before swallowing.

8. Repeat step 7 until you have had enough. When bubbles no longer longer form on top of the water, the the tea has run out of many of its nutrients. As you drink it, try to wet as little of the yerba near the top when filling the gourd with water; this will help make the tea last longer. This helps to create the needed suction to extract the nutrients and protect the straw from getting clogged.