Handcrafted

Mango Wood Gourd with Flowing Leaves

Origin: India

$18.00

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SKU: 59700 Categories: ,

About Mango Wood Gourd with Flowing Leaves:

A handcrafted wooden gourd, featuring carved wooden leaves, designed for drinking Yerba Mate in the traditional style. Although Mate Gourds have a long history in South American countries of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, their use in Asia is very limited to only Yerba aficionados. We started a small project a few years ago to make Mate Gourds in Northern India using mango wood, which produces a durable and high-quality gourd. Our intent is to spread the art of tea and help foster cross-pollination of tea cultures.

Learn about curing and maintaining your mate gourd here.

The Ritual of Drinking Yerba Mate:

The traditional practice of drinking Yerba Mate is a fun and engaging group activity. One individual (cebador, in Spanish), assumes the role of server. The cebador typically fills the gourd and drinks the Yerba completely with a Bombilla (straw) to ensure that it is free of small particles and that it is of good quality. The server subsequently refills the gourd and passes it to the next drinker, who likewise drinks it all. The ritual proceeds around the circle until the mate becomes lavado (“washed out” or “flat”), typically after the gourd has been filled about eight to ten times, depending on the yerba used. Well-aged yerba mate is typically more potent, and therefore provides a greater number of refills. When one has had their fill of mate, they tell the cebador when it is their turn to drink by simply saying gracias (“thanks”) as they receive the mate. In the tradition of mate-drinking, gracias means that this accepted mate will be the last to be drunk, and serves as an acknowledgement of the kindness and kinship offered by the cebador and those with whom one has shared the mate.

Size:

3″ diameter at the top, 4″ height.
2-3 ounce capacity.

Due to the nature of handcrafted wood, each gourd may be slightly different in color and size.

Videos and Links:

Yerba Mate Brewing