← Nouns Cooking · Brazilian & Peruvian

Ingredients

• 40 g yerba mate (enough to fill the gourd two-thirds)
• 1 l hot water (70–80°C), in a flask
• 1 tbsp cool water
• Sugar (optional)

Method

1. Heat the water until small bubbles form but it doesn’t boil, about 70–80°C, and pour it into a flask. Boiling water scorches mate and makes it bitter.
2. Fill the gourd two-thirds full with yerba. Cover the top with your palm, turn it upside down and shake gently so the fine dust sticks to your hand, then tilt the gourd so the leaves slope to one side.
3. Pour a little cool water into the low side and wait 1 minute while it soaks in. Push the bombilla (metal straw) into the wet side, down to the bottom, and don’t move it again.
4. Pour the hot water into the same spot, sip until the gourd gurgles empty, then refill and pass it on (stir a little sugar into the water first if you like it sweet). One fill of yerba lasts 10 to 15 rounds.

Tips

• No gourd? Brew 2 tbsp yerba in a cafetière with 250 ml water at 75°C for 4–5 minutes, or try sweet mate cocido with milk.
• Mate contains caffeine, about like a mild coffee.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Camila Made Serious Eats Camila Made