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A traditional container without which mate would perhaps be just another infusion, the mate cup is the true symbol of this drink that unites the populations of the southern cone of the American continent.
You who are used to sipping your mate every day from your little gourd, do you really know how to make a mate gourd ?
Whether you have any idea about the steps involved in making a calabash or not, we have written a short article that can only do good for your mate culture.
When we talk about mate calabash, we tend, by misuse of language, to talk about all the containers used for mate, whether they are made of gourd, stainless steel, glass, etc.
To be precise, the container used for drinking mate should also be called a "mate." The word calabash simply refers to the gourd (" Lagenaria siceraria ") that is used to make this famous container.
This particularity is the source of some confusion surrounding the name of the container, since it is sometimes called a mate cup , a mate pot or even a mate gourd ...
So it is for the sake of simplicity that we at La Bombilla have taken the habit of simply calling the container a mate gourd, regardless of the material.
Anyway, end of parenthesis: in this article, we are indeed talking about the container made from a squash .
Choosing a mate gourd can be a real challenge for the uninitiated, as the models and prices vary greatly (you can find everything from €10 to… €300!) – from a simple gourd to a work of art.
Ultimately, whether we are talking about a magnificent imperial calabash or a small basic calabash, the most important criterion is not the decoration, but the quality of the gourd .
The calabash is the fruit of the calabash tree, a climbing plant that grows during the summer.
Information that may be useful for those with a penchant for botany or vegetable gardens, the plant can grow in soils with an acidic, neutral or alkaline pH and its roots appreciate sandy textured soils.
With direct sunlight and good humidity levels, the plant can reach a height of 9m and the leaves a length of around 30cm.
Calabash: The fruit
It takes about 6 months for the fruit to grow and reach a size suitable for harvesting - the seeds are planted in spring and the gourds are harvested after the first frosts (between September and October in Argentina).
Once harvested, the gourd is dried and then cut .
The fruits are harvested when perfectly ripe, then stored in a dry, well-ventilated and dark place until they are completely dehydrated - which takes on average 6 months.
The shape and size of gourds vary greatly from one plant to another (genetic criteria, soil quality, sun exposure, humidity, type of support, etc.).
Different shapes of gourd
The different shapes of the fruit allow for several varieties of mate cups to be made.
And how do you choose a fruit to make a quality gourd?
Generally speaking, the more you want to make a quality container, the thicker the gourd you will use, so that it is solid and robust.
This is why "high-end" gourds are so thick that you might sometimes think they are made of wood.
What makes a calabash a beautiful object is often the final touch: the engravings, the leatherwork, or even the metal strapping (which can be stainless steel, alpaca or even silver).
Calabash work is distinguished by two types of calabashes: those engraved and those covered with leather.
In this case, the decorative work is done either by engraving on the gourd itself, on the metal ferrule, or on both.
Here is a short video of an Argentinian artisan showing his engraving work (in Spanish):
It's often in this category that we find real gems. This video of the Imperial personalized for Diego Maradona is a testament to this. For your viewing pleasure (also in Spanish):
Some models of leather gourds are quite common. Some even have a name: torpedo , camionero or the most famous model, the imperial .
Before being ready for consumption, the calabash must always be cleaned, a process known as "curing your calabash" or "roasting your calabash".
It involves properly preparing the inside of the squash so that it becomes waterproof and hardens, so that it has as long a shelf life as possible.
For you, matero, here is an article that explains how to clean your mate gourd (with video!).
