In order for the first acquaintance with a new drink to leave a positive impression, it is necessary to seriously approach the issue of its preparation. Mate is a delicious tea with healing properties. If the first impression of the mate is positive, then he can compete for fans with ordinary tea or coffee.
Instructions
Step 1
Traditionally, mate is drunk from a special dish - calabash (or kalabas) through a tube of bombilyu (or bombiju). The classic calabash is a small dried pumpkin. Modern calabash is made of wood, metal and even plastic. The tube itself is made of metal. Bombilla always ends with a wide and flat strainer.
Step 2
The traditional technology for brewing mate is as follows. Pour the mate powder of the selected variety into the calabash. The assortment is quite diverse: from classic to strawberry or lemon. When the volume of dry tea leaves is 2/3 of the volume of the "pumpkin", cover it with your palm and shake gently.
Step 3
Tilt the calabash so that all the powder is gently poured to one side. Near the other wall, insert a tube with a bombilla and, with a smooth movement, place the calabash in an upright position.
Step 4
Then pour hot, but not boiled water into the calabash in small portions. The ideal temperature for water is 70-80 degrees.
Step 5
Carefully fill the powder with water until it intersects the tube. During this procedure, be sure to close the bombilla hole with your finger, then the dry leaves of the tea leaves will not get into the tube.
Step 6
Let it brew for 2-3 minutes, so that the tea leaves are completely moistened and compressed a little, and then gently pour water almost to the top of the vessel.
Step 7
One portion of the powder can be brewed several times until the taste is completely lost. If desired, you can brew mate like coffee or cocoa, add sugar or honey. Prepare a cold mate with ice, sugar, orange, grapefruit or lemon juice, mint leaves, and more. There are a lot of recipes for the drink, for every taste.
