In the current business turmoil, especially in Europe, drinking mate is slowly slipping into just brewing and drinking an infusion of holly leaves. Plastic cups filled with dry mate and a plastic straw are on sale. The so-called one-time kit. What to do is a tribute to our time.
In fact, the process of drinking mate is a certain ritual, the observance of which brings not only aesthetic pleasure, but also helps to better feel the drink itself. A special mug called calabash or porongo is used to drink mate. It is the fruit of a pear-shaped gourd, the top of which has been cut off and the pulp removed. Its tree-like rind is dried and sometimes smoked a little over the fire. Often the edges are trimmed with silver. Calabash should never be covered with paint or varnish. Its surface must breathe.
After you have become the proud owner of a calabash, you must revive the calabash before using it. To do this, fill the calabash half with mate, fill it with hot water and leave it in this state for a day. Then pour out the contents and thoroughly scrub the insides of the calabash with a spoon wrapped in a soft cloth. We repeat the procedure twice.
For handcrafted calabash made by renowned craftsmen, there is a different kind of revitalization process. Put the mate in the calabash up to half. Then fill it to the top with good cognac. We let him stand for a day. Then we clean the calabash, rinse with cold water. Dry with a soft cloth, then give a bit of cognac again and rinse the walls of the vessel with it. The calabash can now be dried. And after drying, start a pleasant drinking process.
