The Gourd: A unique tool to infuse Yerba Mate

Stroll around Argentina and you won't be surprised at all to see many people sipping their mate in a mysterious round container, using a long straw with a flattened tip, carrying a thermos of hot water under their arm. This image is very representative of the whole culture surrounding the consumption of yerba mate in Latin America, particularly in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. Learn more about this unique container known as the gourd.

From squash to gourd! 

The gourd, as well as the Bombilla (Learn more about this filter straw right here) are tools that have been specially created for the consumption of Yerba Mate. One of the first gourd models that came into being was the "Calabash". The "Calabash" is actually a kind of container that is cut from a gourd. It was the Guaraníes (First Nations and among the first users of Yerba Mate) who gave birth to this first version of the gourd, which is known today in many forms. 

To each their own model

Nowadays, mate can be consumed in many ways, and there are gourds made of various materials on the market. Whether it is made from squash, wood, glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or silicone, we believe that there is a gourd for everybody. And with different models so unique and diversified, it’s not rare at all to find Yerba Mate enthusiasts who collect them! Each gourd is a piece of art.

Although Calabash are one of the oldest models of gourds, they are still commonly used today. This model, less popular in North America, is easily found in Argentina. The models being very varied, it is necessary to know that each country has its own models of gourds. 

What Gourds has learned us!

Some models are more traditional, and others more modern. The more traditional ones take us back to the heritage and roots of the culture, while more modern models are better adapted to today's way of life and continue to show the incredible evolution of mate consumption.