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What is mate tea, which technically is not tea, we figured out in the last article. Today I want to tell you how to brew mate properly, and, of course, how to drink it. In fact, everyone can make yerba, but it is much more difficult to find, let alone become a good Cebadores (Cebador is the one who brews mate). The fact is that to brew a good mate, you need to have enough time. All art lies not in the primary brewing, but in the constant maintenance of the drink in the right, so to speak, condition. That is why in the days of the colonies, rich families had their own sebador, who was engaged exclusively in brewing yerba.
For connoisseurs of mate in the past, a poorly prepared drink was considered just an insult. Even now, from the inhabitants of South America you can hear the phrase: “No, this mate is for gringos!” – this drink is for newcomers, prepared disgustingly. In Argentina, they still continue to support the traditions of yerba, holding competitions between sebadors. At such competitions, several things are of great importance: water, mate and, of course, properly prepared calabash.
There are several ways to prepare a drink. Most often it is yerba without sugar or strong mate (Amargo, Gaucho, Cimarron, green). Here’s another trick: sugar settles in the pores of the calabash and gradually destroys it, so I recommend drinking mate without sugar. Argentines say about this: “Only townspeople, women, children and gringos drink sweet mate, but a real gaucho drinks strong!”. Since you and I are still for gaucho gringos, it is reasonable for us to try sweet mate =). But first, let’s figure out how a traditional, strong mate is brewed.
How mate is traditionally brewed
Cooking mate is a strict observance of proportions and sequence. Brewing mate correctly means being able to “open yerba” completely, thereby fully enriching your body with healing substances (in the last article I wrote about the benefits of mate). First, let’s talk about dishes. Undoubtedly to make the right mate you need calabash – gourd vessel Lagenaria Vulgaris and bombing (tube with sieve). If you decide to treat a large company with a drink, then, accordingly, you should use a large calabash – a smaller vessel is suitable for individual drinking.
Very important! After you have purchased the calabash you like, you need to prepare it before using it. This is a one-time action necessary to clean the inner walls of the vessel from the natural film remaining after processing the pumpkin. This film can further spoil the taste of mate, making it bitter. The easiest way: fill the calabash halfway with mate and pour hot water over it, then keep the vessel filled for 24 hours. Then pour out the contents and clean the inner walls of the calabash with the tip of a spoon, warming it up or wrapping it in a soft cloth. This procedure should be repeated twice.
Another way, suitable for expensive custom-made vessels: fill the calabash halfway with yerba and fill it with cognac, then infuse the vessel for 24 hours. Then pour out the contents, rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth. Then pour a little more cognac and evenly distribute it over the walls of the calabash, let dry.
Ideally, the bombyja should be made of silver – it does not corrode and has antiseptic properties, which is ideal for collective drinking of yerba. I also recommend trying wooden bamboo bombs – they do not burn your lips if you drink the drink immediately after brewing.
Strong mate Amargo
1. Fill the calabash 2/3 full with yerba;
2. Close the neck of the vessel with the palm of your hand and gently shake the calabash, combining with circular movements. This is necessary to separate mate particles into fractions: larger leaves and stems will settle from below, which will not clog with bombing.
3. Gently tilt the calabash so that the yerba forms a hillock on one of the walls of the vessel;
4. Pour some hot (up to 80 degrees, not boiling water!!!) water into the calabash in the place where there is no mate. Let the brew moisten. Repeat the procedure one more time.
5. Place the bomber into the calabash as follows: the bottom of the bomber, where the small holes are located, should be on the bottom where there is no mat. While placing the tube in the vessel, close it on the other side with your finger so that air does not circulate in it.
6. Then, along the walls of the bombing, you can slowly add hot water, but not boiling water (I recommend 65 degrees).
This method is suitable for brewing yerba in a large calabash with the expectation of a large company. The mound of mate formed after the vessel is tilted will be moistened gradually, thereby maintaining a rich taste all the time. You can add water several times, but no more than 8-12 – such a mate is considered lavado, that is, “washed”.
Important! Mate should be drunk immediately after filling it with water. If the drink is insisted, it will start to taste bitter. If it is poured with too hot water, the drink will start to taste bitter. Do not touch the bomb – if you mix it, it will be bitter. With each subsequent filling, mate becomes softer and is drunk with no less pleasure.
For individual drinking of mate in a small calabash, it is enough to change only one preparation point, namely 5: after introducing the bombizhya into the calabash, shake the vessel so that the yerba slightly covers the tube. After that, pour water and wait a few minutes for the mate to be sufficiently moistened and not clogged with bombs.
Several ways to prepare mate
Mate Terrere
It is prepared like the traditional one, but instead of hot water, use cold water by adding a few more ice cubes. In such a mat, you can add a little orange or lemon juice. Mate Terrere is the perfect way to brew mate in the summer – it perfectly quenches thirst and fills you with energy.
Mate Ruso (Mate Ruso)
The traditional method of preparation is also used, only dried ingredients are added to dry yerba: currant leaves, mint, raspberries, St. John’s wort, lingonberries, linden flowers, etc. This method will allow you to give the drink a more familiar flavor, as well as saturate the body with even more beneficial trace elements.
Mate Cocido
He’s brewed mate. Milk can be used for brewing, then the drink will be called Mate Cocido con leche. I’ve tried it and it tastes amazing. Just brew 50 grams of yerba in 0,5 liters of milk, heating it to 50-60 degrees. After mixing mate and milk, you need to bring the mixture to a boil and pour through a sieve into cups. Sugar can be added to taste, but I would recommend a little honey. A very healthy drink for children.
There are a lot of mate recipes. In Kiev, I heard there is an institution called “MateIn”. There, guests are offered a huge number of ways to brew mate. While working at Caffeine, I witnessed the introduction of the MateIn project into the bar menu of a coffee shop. We brewed mate with various juices (I really like apple juice), milk, spices, etc. In general, experiment.
How to store calabash
If you drink mate every day, you can keep it moist by rinsing and cleaning the container after drinking. If you use mate periodically, then I recommend that you dry the calabash well, leaving it in the position with the neck down – this is how water will drain from the walls. Do not leave the calabash wet in an enclosed space, otherwise mold will form on its walls! That’s all for now!