How to Prepare?

To prepare the Mate infusion, the dried minced leaves of the Yerba Mate are placed inside the Mate cup and hot water (approx. 84ºC) is added (this is called "cebar el Mate"). The infusion is sucked through a metal pipe called "bombilla," which has a strainer at its lower end to prevent the minced leaves from reaching the mouth. There are as many different techniques to prepare Mate as Mate drinkers, here is a fairly traditional method:

		Fill the Mate cup with Yerba Mate up to 3/4 of its capacity.
		With the palm of your hand cover the mouth or open end of the mate/gourd , and shake it up and down several times (this will send the thiner ground leaves and powder to the top, so later when drinking from the bombila/sipper it will not clog the tiny holes of the bombilla "coconut"). A variation that will give you more tea per infusion and a less potent taste is to fill the Mate cup only half way, or even a little less than that.
		Pour some hot water in until it nearly fills the cup. Don't worry if some of the leaves remain dry, floating on the top. They will eventually absorb water in subsequent infusions.
		Let it stand a few seconds and replenish with hot water when the previous one is absorbed by the dry Mate leaves.
		When the water is not absorbed anymore, close the bombilla's "mouthpiece" with your thumb and insert it firmly into the Mate.

Some people add sugar and/or some herbs (like mint, for example). Some replace the water with milk, specially for the children. You drink and replenish the Mate with hot water many times till the liquid comes out with almost no taste. The repetitive extraction with hot water seems to be an efficient way of extracting the beneficial properties of the herb.

Enjoy! Although the first taste will be an unusual flavor for newcomers, it is a haunting taste that beckons you back time and time again. It's almost as if the body knows how good Mate is for you and calls out for you to take in more.