The tradition of drinking mate came to us from Latin America quite recently, but quickly gained popularity among gourmets and lovers of "tea ceremonies". The increased demand for this tea has led to the fact that many companies have launched the production of packaged mate, for simple and convenient use in offices, restaurants and cafes.
Also, disposable kits in the form of a plastic cup filled with a dry mixture of mate have appeared on the market, allowing you to quickly brew mate. Such a cup is hermetically sealed with foil; a plastic disposable tube is attached to it.
Let us dwell in more detail on the items necessary for the correct brewing of mate. Undoubtedly, the special "taste" of the "matepitiya" ceremony is given by the specific dishes used for it. The main character here is the calabash (aka porongo), which plays the role of a teapot. This vessel is made of a pear-shaped pumpkin, from which the tip is cut off and the pulp is removed. After drying, the surface of the pumpkin becomes hard, like wood. In order to achieve a shiny surface, sometimes the pumpkin is smoked over a fire. Also, the edges of the pumpkin can be bound with metal (usually silver), carved or rimmed with leather edging. It is forbidden to cover the calabash with paint or varnish, this leads to the fact that the surface of the pumpkin stops "breathing" and the taste of the tea deteriorates.
Calabash can be individual, designed for one person (the volume of such vessels is 0.3-05 liters) or large for the whole company (up to 1 liter). Pumpkin calabash perfectly maintains the optimal temperature for brewing the drink and preserves the special taste of tea, for which connoisseurs appreciate it so much.
The second necessary attribute for brewing and drinking a drink is a special straw or bombilla through which mate should be drunk. The bombilla is a metal tube 15 to 25 cm long, with a tetrahedron-shaped strainer at the end. Traditional materials for making bombilla are metal (silver), bone, and reed or wood. Nowadays, plastic tubes are also often used. Those who prefer to drink hot mate use a short wooden bombilla. And for drinking a cool drink, it is better to take a shorter straw, you can use a metal one.
The final element of the mate brewing set is a hot water kettle called pava. The Europeanized version of the consumption of mate allows you to replace the kettle with a special thermos.
Having chosen the dishes in the appropriate style, you can safely start tasting this amazing drink in order to fully enjoy its aroma and unusual taste.
