Yerba Mate is one of kind beverage for many reasons, and of of them is the way it's drank, or better said from what is drank.
Yerba Mate gourd is a cup from which to drink Yerba Mate, and there are four main types of it:
- Natural - Calabash Yerba Mate gourd
- Wooden gourd
- Glass Yerba Mate gourd
- Ceramic gourd
Ceramic and Glass Yerba Mate gourds, because of their material most usually don't require taking a lot of care for, but on the other hand Calabash and wooden gourds do require and here's exactly what and how..
photo by: CasarsaGuru
First, remove any debris from your Yerba Mate gourd which is very common for the Calabash gourds: Wash out the Yerba Mate gourd with slightly warm water (not boiling) and without soap, and scrape the debris with a spoon. You will notice a small 'bud' at the very bottom, but you should try avoiding it when scraping, otherwise it will cause a leaking from your gourd.
Second, disinfect (optional) by passing a salt inside. This can also help you in future if your gourd starts developing a mold.
Cure - Fill your gourd with some Yerba Mate leaves and leave for a few hours (it's important for them to be wet before putting into the gourd, so maybe an already drank Yerba Mate beverage will be the perfect one for this step).
All steps cleared, and your Yerba Mate is ready for use!