How to Brew Mate Properly: In a Calabash, Teapot, or Cup
If you're interested in "How to brew mate tea?" and "How to drink mate tea?" – it means you want to discover the unique taste, aroma, and beneficial properties of this exotic beverage, derived from the Paraguayan holly – a tree (or bush) that grows exclusively in South America. Yes, to drink a cup of mate, you need at least dry, finely ground, unfermented raw material of this evergreen plant, which can live up to 100 years.
Buying mate today is not difficult – you don't need to fly to Paraguay or Uruguay. Just contact our online store "Miy Chay," where specialists will help you choose the right variety. But that's not enough. For proper preparation of the drink, the utensils play a crucial role. And these are the calabash and bombilla. Of course, you can also use an ordinary teapot or mug for brewing "green Indian tea" – it all depends on opportunities, desires, and situations… To make everything clear and accessible, we will try to answer the following questions as objectively as possible:
- How to properly brew mate in a calabash?
- How to brew mate tea without a calabash?
- How to brew mate in a teapot?
- How to brew mate in a cup?
- How to properly drink mate?
Ancient Incas consumed this wondrous tea, knowing its exceptional value: it perfectly tones, gives strength, enhances mental abilities, relieves irritability, quenches thirst, helps tolerate hunger well, etc. In Ukraine, it became known relatively recently – over the last few decades. But in this short time, many Ukrainians have been able to appreciate its unique taste and aroma. And most importantly – its positive effect on the body. Properly brewed mate is not just tea (although it's not actually tea). It's a healing elixir capable of preventing many diseases and minimizing their further development. But now the question is not about the healing properties of the drink, but about its preparation and how to drink mate tea.
Before answering the above questions, I want to say the following. Our specialists recommend trying the brewed "Indian drink" to those:
- who are open to new and unusual things,
- who need constant concentration and active work capacity,
- for whom immune resistance to viral diseases is important,
- who want to get rid of coffee or alcohol addiction.
How to brew Mate?
Expert opinion worth noting: "How to prepare mate? There are many recipes. For any of them, it's important to correctly carry out two brewing stages: initial swelling of the dry mixture and completely filling it with water. How many times can quality raw material be brewed? Up to 7-9 times."
These rules are, of course, taken into account. But many are initially interested in questions like: "What are these strange things – a calabash and a bombilla?" It's all very simple! These items are sold in specialized tea shops, including "Miy Chay." These are accessories for mate tea drinking, available in various sizes and colors.
Calabash or mate gourd – a traditional South American and South African round-shaped vessel without a handle (resembling a mug), made from wood, gourds, sometimes ceramics, decorated with vibrant painting or ornament.
Bombilla (meaning "straw" in translation) – a straw with a filter, made of metal, wood, silver, bone, or reed, through which the drink is consumed.
How to brew mate in a calabash?
New utensils must be prepared for further use. Mate is poured into the calabash up to half its capacity and filled with hot water. It is left for 10 hours. The mixture is poured out, the vessel is rinsed with clean water, and then dried thoroughly with the opening facing up for at least 12 hours. Now the calabash is ready for use!
How to prepare mate? Pour mate into the calabash up to 1/2 of its capacity, cover with your palm, and shake several times. Tilt the calabash so that the leaves gather against one wall, and pour cold water only to moisten the brew (a dense mass should form). Insert the bombilla: its lower part should be at the bottom, where there are no leaves. Then, pour hot water (up to 65-80°C) into the mate in a high stream. Experts state: the higher the water temperature, the fewer infusions the leaves will withstand.
How long to steep? Up to 1 minute, some steep for up to 2, but bitterness may appear, so practice is important here.
How many times can it be brewed? Some manage up to 7-9, others – up to 6-8. Mate can be brewed until it completely loses its flavor.
Note the fact: if no foam appears when pouring hot water in a high stream – the beneficial substances of mate have been exhausted.
How to drink mate tea? If you want to fully experience the unusual taste of this exotic drink, drink it slowly, in small sips. The bombilla should remain constantly in the thickest part of the brew, at the bottom of the calabash.
Suppose you don't have the necessary accessories, but you have purchased mate. For this, there is a classic brewing recipe.
Mate tea, how to brew it in a teapot or mug? 10 grams of dry mixture are poured into a container no smaller than 250 ml. The vessel is shaken in the same way, the raw material is poured with cold water just enough to moisten the brew. When the leaves absorb the water and turn into a thick green paste, the teapot is completely filled with hot water using a high stream. The temperature should not exceed 80°C. Steep for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. After the drink is consumed, hot water is poured into the container again.
How to prepare sweet mate?
An exotic drink is wonderful! But many Ukrainians love to treat themselves to a sweet "elixir of health and vigor." There is a simple recipe for this. Place 1 teaspoon of honey at the bottom of a regular cup, then add 1 teaspoon of mate, and pour hot water over it all. Sugar can be used instead of honey.
How to brew mate tea with milk?
This is an excellent drink for winter cold, perfectly warming, boosting immunity, wonderfully toning, but not irritating the nervous system. The recipe for its preparation: 50 grams of mate are poured with 0.5 liters of boiled milk, cooled to 70°C. Sweeten with honey or sugar to taste. Strain through a sieve and pour into cups.
How to store mate correctly?
For those who have appreciated this magnificent drink, which lifts spirits and gives vigor, the question of its storage cannot but be of interest.
- It is best to buy mate from Paraguay.
- The most delicious and fragrant tea comes from raw material that contains the maximum amount of leaves and a minimum of stems.
- There are varieties with additives – which one to buy is a matter of taste.
- For long-term storage, appropriate utensils are necessary – an airtight tea caddy with a tightly closing lid that does not allow foreign odors.
- The container should be kept in a dry place.
- Do not buy mate at unverified retail outlets. The best option is a specialized store that ensures the necessary preservation of the exotic raw material until its purchase.
Mate is not a drink to be consumed "on the go." To fully appreciate its astringency with a slight bitterness, tranquility and a little time are required. Its presence is something that can truly diversify daily life, making it more original and distinctive.
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