How to prepare a Mate

1. The boil
   The water is heated to a maximum of 75°-80° and poured into a thermos;
   
   
2. Yerba selection
   You select the variety of yerba you want to consume and pour the ideal quantity inside your mate depending on its size and how many friends we have to share it with.
   Usually you fill the mate about 3/4 full of yerba.
   
   
3. The shake
   With the palm of your hand you cap the mate and shake it so as to bring the dust and minor fragments of the yerba to the surface and then eliminate it.
   This operation also allows you to make the yerba more homogeneous and to spread it in the correct way for the next step
   
   
4. The infusion
   Tilt the mate so as to spread the yerba on the long side, creating a free space in the other half where the water will be delicately poured, trying to immerse only the yerba at the base. This step allows the yerba to progressively get wet, releasing its aromas in a constant and balanced way.
   
   
5. The drink
   To complete the preparation, insert the bombilla along the side where the water was poured and let the infusion rest for a few minutes to allow the yerba to release its aromas. The first sips will be slightly bitter and then soften in a short time.

Mistakes not to be made

It is very important to never mix the yerba inside the mate otherwise you will have a very strong release of all its aromas resulting in a very bitter impact and in a short time exhaustion as the yerba would no longer have flavors to release!

Never fill the Mate with water to the brim but stop at the level of the pumpkin without the decorations getting wet. This is because the fleje and the virola are not fixed immovably but are interlocking and, therefore, it could happen that water could sneak in and reach the external leather that covers the Mate.

Insights

For the more experienced and lovers of tradition it is possible to add a step during the preparation of the mate. This consists of decanting the yerba with a small quantity of water at 40°-45° before starting to drink it. We will then proceed, after shaking the mate, to wet the yerba at the base so as to release the first bitter aromas which will literally be "spit out".
This allows you to avoid rough first sips and bring the yerba to its maximum balanced expression of flavor.