Ingredients:

Yerba mate (about 50g per person) Hot water (not boiling, around 70-80°C) A special container called mate a gourd, typically made from calabash or wood, or a special cup called mate

Instructions:

Fill the mate: Place the yerba mate in the mate, filling it about three-quarters full.

Arrange the leaves: Tilt the mate so that the yerba mate covers one side of the container, forming a kind of "mountain." This allows water to be poured onto a specific area.

Heat the water: The water should not be boiling, as this can scald the mate leaves. The ideal temperature is around 70-80°C.

Pour the water: Pour the water onto the exposed side of the yerba mate, gradually wetting the leaves.

Insert the straw (bombilla): A bomba, or bombilla, is a metal straw with a filter at the end. Insert the bomba into the mate, ensuring that the filter makes contact with the yerba mate leaves.

Savor the mate: Mate is often shared among friends and family. The person who prepared the mate serves themselves first, and after finishing the gourd, they refill it and pass it to the next person.