You can drink mate at any time of day – and so you should, because it’s good for you!

But there is more to Yerba Mate than this. For centuries it has played an almost mystical role in the social life of the native Indian tribes of South America such as the Guaraní. For generations a gourd of yerba mate has been shared in a ritual that has been likened to the peace-pipe ceremony or the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Packing the mate into the gourd

The cebador (brewer) fills the mate (gourd) about two-thirds full of yerba. If extra herbs or flavourings are being used, these are added next. Then, placing one hand over the mouth of the gourd, he tilts it upside down and gives it a good but careful shake to make the smallest particles settle to the bottom (which will be the top) and the large particle float to the top (which will be the bottom). Next, he turns it the right way up but tilted slightly to one side and gives it a gentler shake. The result is a carefully-packed heap of mate sloping diagonally up to one side of the gourd, with the twigs and stems at the bottom acting as a filter to the smaller particles at the top. There should be a clear gap all down the other side of the gourd.

Inserting the bombilla (straw)

This is a delicate task which inevitably involves some damage to the carefully arranged slope of yerba. The cebador puts his thumb over the mouthpiece of the bombilla, plunges the end into the middle of the slope of the heap of yerba and very carefully forces it all the way to the bottom corner. There is some debate about whether the cool water (see below) should be added before or after the insertion of the bombilla. The pre-wetters say this allows the cebador to arrange the yerba more perfectly using the bombilla. The dry-insertionists on the other hand point out that much less damage is done to the yerba heap by inserting the bombilla when the yerba is still dry. We suspect that this debate will not be settled any time soon and advise you simply to follow your personal preference or local custom.

Adding the water

The first step is to add a small amount of cold water to moisten the mate (but see above, Inserting the bombilla, for the heated debate on this subject). Once this has been done, the cebador gently pours hot (not boiling) water down the clear side of the gourd. The ideal temperature is about 80C (176F). It takes a few moments to soak in and ideally the top of the heap of mate will stay dry for some time. If this is achieved, the gourd will last longer before having to be replenished with fresh yerba.

Drinking and sharing the yerba mate

The cebador drinks first. This is the custom, because the first infusion is usually rather bitter. He empties the gourd and carries on drinking until a loud slurping noise emanates from the bulbous filter at the bottom of the bombilla, then carefully refills it with hot water and passes it to the next person.

The next person silently takes the cup and again drinks all of the liquid until a satisfyingly loud slurping is heard. He then refills it with hot water and passes it on, or hands it back to the cebador to refill. Note that everyone uses the same bombilla. This is one reason why the ritual is such an intimate act of friendship, like the peace pipe.

Some DOs and DON’Ts

DO NOT under any circumstances stir the yerba with the bombilla. If you think it is necessary, hand the mate back to the cebador to adjust. He has spent ages getting the arrangement of the yerba and the bombilla just right and for that reason stirring it up with the bombilla is considered very bad manners.

DO NOT say graçias (thank you) when the cup is handed to you. Simply take it without a word and drink all of it. Then hand it back to the cebador, or top it up with hot water and hand it to the next person if that is what is being done. When you do not want any more, then you can say graçias, meaning “No thank you”.

DO make a good loud slurping noise when you finish your yerba mate.

DO NOT be self-conscious about this. It is the custom, and it shows that you have emptied the gourd.