How to cure the Maté gourd.

1. The Maté Gourd infusion must be prepared using a cured gourd. The curing process for the traditional gourd is a one to two week process. The Gourds are divided in two categories: curable and incurable. Incurable gourds are those made of non-porous Matterials (glass, metal, china, etc.). They are a great clean way to use Mendo Maté Yerba Maté because they can be washed, and, therefore, are able to provide a different experience.
2. The curing process is divided in two steps: before the first use (or proper curing) and the curing that results from the everyday use of the gourd with only one kind of infusion (for example pure Maté with no additives). The proper curing has two purposes: the removal of soft tissues and the adaptation of the gourd to the particular kind of infusion.
3. For the removal of soft tissues, fill the gourd with used Yerba Maté add hot water and let stand for a day. It is better to use pure Yerba Maté and not Yerba Maté that was used with sugar because the latter decomposes easily. Next day, remove the Yerba, rinse the gourd and scrap the soft tissues. Repeat the whole process one more time. For the adaptation to "black" Maté or cimarrón (that is pure Yerba Maté with no additives like sugar), fill the gourd with fresh Yerba Maté and add boiling water. Please note this is only for curring purposes, you do not ever use boiling water when you are planning on drinking the Yerba. Let stand for a day. Repeat for two or three days if you feel like it. For "sweet" Maté, first add two or three Teaspoons of sugar and a small piece of burning coal. Cover the gourd mouth and shake vigorously to burn the sugar homogeneously. Empty the gourd and proceed as for the cimarrón Maté.

To make organic yerba maté in a saucepan, pot or stockpot. Use the following steps.

1. Take your saucepan and add fresh clean drinking water.
2. Place your saucepan over a heat source such as a gas stove, electric stove, or fire place.
3. Heat your water to 150°F and add your favorite blend of organic yerba maté to the heated fresh water.
4. Trun off your heat source or remove the saucepan from the burner.
5. Let the organic yerba maté tea steep for 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 cup of fresh clean drinking water at room temperature to your steeped organic yerba maté tea.
7. Wait 1 minute while the organic yerba maté tea drops to the bottom of the saucepan.
8. Serve by pouring your tea into another smaller container to straight into your tea cup or mug.

Notes: Adding the cold water changes the thermal dynamics of the hot water and drops all or most of the solids in the saucepan to the bottom acting as a natural filter.

The traditional yerba maté gourd is used to drink Mendo Maté® yerba maté with a bombilla. The gourd has acted as a cup in this unique relationship for 100s if not 1000s of years in South America's indigenous population. To use the traditional gourd and bombilla follow these 6 steps:

Fill your gourd with your favorite blend of Mendo Maté yerba maté.

Turn your gourd to the side and pad the yerba maté against the gourds wall.

Add a few table spoons of water from your thermos to moisten the tea.

Let your Mendo Maté steep for a few minutes.

Insert your glass or traditional bombilla onto the top of the moist packed yerba maté.

Fill your gourd with hot water from your thermos and take a small sip to test the tempiture of the water, you should never have the thermos above 150F or you will burn the tea and yourself. Once trusted and your ready... Power It®'till its gone. Refill and pass on to your friend or family member.

Making yerba maté in a French press is fast and one of the most popular ways to brew yerba maté in the United States. You make yerba maté just like the way you would other teas or coffee's in your French press.

To Start:

1. Take your clean French press and place 2 to 6 table spoons of your favorite Mendo Maté yerba maté blend into the French press.
2. Heat your water in a pan, kettle or empty coffee pot to 149 degrees or just before boiling.
3. Pour your hot water into the French press and let steep for 3 minutes or more. Note the longer you let steep the stronger your tea will be.
4. Press the screen down in the press and pour the yerba maté tea into your mug.

Add cream, milk, soy milk or any other flavors that you would like.

Getting started with your new organic yerba maté or switching it up from another form of consumption the good old coffee pot is a real option. You can make yerba maté using a verity of accessories including.

• Traditional Bombilla.
• Electric Coffee Pot.
• French Press.
• Tea Ball.
• Tea Bags.
• Open Pot or Pan.
• One Cup Brewers and many more...

Here we layout the simple steps to make organic yerba maté with your coffee pot.

1. Take a bag of your favorite oganic yerba maté tisane blend and pour it into the top of your coffee pot filter.
2. The amount may very but think 1 table spoon per cup.
3. Add fresh clean drinking water.
4. Place pot under the filter and allow the coffee maker to brew.
5. When finished pour into a mug and add condements to taste. Soy milk, milk, sugar, honey, cinnamon, chocolate and much more...

To start making your favorite Mendo Maté blend of tea bags using the sun, follow these steps. Remember that you can do anything with our tea bags that you can with other popular brands of tea.

1. Locate all the required supplies. 1 gallon glass jar, 1 box of your favorite tea bags and 1 gallon of fresh drinking water.
2. Place your jar on a flat location and add the 1 gallon of fresh drinking water to your 1 gallon glass jar.
3. Add at least 6 tea bags to your glass jar.
4. Place a lid or some type of top on your jar.
5. Lastly place the jar in direct sun for 4 to 8 hours.

Now you can serve your fresh sun tea made with organic yerba maté with organic honey or sugar. We really like to drink it straight as a refreshment.

Opinions are mixed on the perfect cup of tea but we are going to give it a shop. We have decided to exclude added ingredients "condiments" due to the nature and over all taste of tea in general. Follow these steps when making 1 cup of tea with 1 (3 gram) tea bag.

1. Water temperature is the secret when it comes to making the perfect cup of tea. Set the tea pot and or water to 149°.
2. Place 1 (3 gram) tea bag in a mug of your choice.
3. Add the fresh hot (149°) water to your mug.
4. Let steep for 185 seconds.
5. Flavor to taste and enjoy...

This is the perfect touch and perfect cup of tea. You can add other flavors if need be.

As the story goes...

All the founders of Mendo Maté® were hanging out in Mendo (For the uninitiated - non local, Mendo can refer to the town of Mendocino or the county of Mendocino) one night while thinking of blends and rapping about marketing... one of us said Power It® to the other while sucking on the bombilla. From that point on it has been a sorta inside term and company slogan when you need to pull off something hard or difficult. The great thing is everyone has a unique way of thinking, and how they Power It®. As we later found out some of the founders had a little different idea on what Power It® meant:)

In general, when we say power it... we are talking about the gourd and bombilla. What many people mean by the traditional way to drink yerba maté in a gourd. Here are the steps you will need to take to officially Power It® slurp... slurp... style.

The traditional yerba maté gourd and bombilla is used to Officially Power It®. The gourd has acted as a cup in this unique relationship for 100s if not 1000s of years in South America's indigenous population. To use the traditional gourd and bombilla follow these 6 steps:

Fill your gourd with your favorite blend of Mendo Maté yerba maté.

Turn your gourd to the side and pad the yerba maté against the gourds wall.

Add a few table spoons of water from your thermos to moisten the tea.

Let your Mendo Maté steep for a few minutes.

Insert your glass or traditional bombilla onto the top of the moist packed yerba maté.

Fill your gourd with hot water from your thermos and take a small sip to test the tempiture of the water, you should never have the thermos above 150F or you will burn the tea and yourself. Once trusted and your ready... Power It®'till its gone. Refill and pass on to your friend or family member.

Sharing Yerba Maté

Yerba Maté is more than just good for the body; it's good for the soul. Drinking it can be a form of meditation or reflection - allowing the goodness to infuse into the body while stimulating and resting the mind. But this wholeness does not always happen alone.

In Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, fellow gouchos or farmers, knit together by the work of taming a wild land, will share a Maté around the camp fire to enhance their bonds of companionship. In Montevideo, Uruguay it's common to find a close-knit family or two lovers, or two or three best friends sharing a Maté on an outing to a local park or beach. In all these places, when an individual or group finally offers to include you in their Maté sharing, it should be taken as the highest possible compliment and entered in to with great appreciation. To avoid offending the offering party, there are a few rules you should follow as a part of a Maté fellowship.

In a traditional Yerba Maté sharing event, there is one person who pours the hot water and serves up the cup. At a party of close friends, this person is often the host. At outings or at home, this responsibility may change from one sharing to the next. Generally the server will start a new infusion and then take the first drink. He or she will drink all the water in the Maté cup, taking several good sips until air is heard coming through the bombilla. Once done, the server will again fill the cup with hot water and hand it to the next drinker, who will also drink the entire contents of the cup before handing it back to the server. The cup will once again be filled and handed to the next person, who does the same. This process will continue, going around the circle many times, until there is no flavor left in the infusion.

The Bombilla (bom-bee-ah) is a traditional straw with a spring or whole like filter on the opposing end of the drinking tip. The Bombilla is used traditionally to drink yerba maté tea with a plant gourd.

The purpose of this device is to allow the individual to drink yerba maté tea in the traditional South American style.

The traditional gourd or "Maté" is used for drinking yerba maté and is grown from various types of plants and trees. Namely from the squash family. In Argentina and other heavily consuming yerba maté counties the gourd has taken on the role of a traditional drinking vassal. The gourd or "Maté" is the oldest known devise for consuming yerba maté.