From the Manufacturer Share a ritual of friendship with organic, shade-grown yerba mate sustainably harvested beneath the lush canopy of the South American rainforest. Revered for centuries as the drink of the gods and consumed to ensure health, vitality, and longevity, yerba mate triumphs as nature's most balanced stimulant. The leaves of the rainforest yerba mate tree contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants, and naturally occurring caffeine. Sharing a gourd is a ritual of hospitality and friendship, and the Pre-Columbian Gourd is a beautiful, functional gourd carved with designs inspired by ancient cave pictographs, such as two-headed snakes, frogs, bats, and birds. Each gourd includes a Spanish inscription on the back that identifies the tribe, region, and name associated with the design. Because Guayaki fair trade gourds and bombillas are artisan-crafted directly in the heart of South America, no two are exactly alike. Each gourd comes with a 10-page booklet detailing its use in South American culture, and instructions on how to cure, pack, and care for the gourd. The set also includes a bombilla (or filter-straw) hand-crafted from a beneficial alloy of zinc, magnesium, and iron that will not rust, flake, or peel; the bombilla filters tea from the gourd for a direct herbal infusion. Each gourd of organic yerba mate provides a stimulating source of balanced energy in a rich, full-bodied tea steeped in tradition.
K**N
Great gourd if taken care of properly
Alright, After using this mate gourd for a week now I am ready to give a honest review.First off this gourd has a stunning design on the front, which makes you know that someone took a lot of time and care into making this gourd. The bombilla is not a spoon shape or a spring shape but instead it has small slits on the bottom of the bombilla which I find to be a clever design. I recommend this gourd for beginners since it is a fairly good price and it lets you get an understanding of how to use it.For people who are worried about this gourd molding, don't. If you take care of this gourd properly it should last you a long time. First off, make sure you cure your gourd for at least 6 hours by filling it up with yerba mate almost all the way to the top and adding hot water. For a better curing process keep adding water as needed. When you are done curing the gourd the inside of the gourd will be a dark green color. Do not worry! This is not mold! This is from the gourd absorbing the dark green color of the yerba mate. If you are still worried about the gourd collecting mold you should try substituting the water with some alcohol. (I prefer Tequila, will give it a nice flavor and the alcohol will keep down the mold.)When you have finished using your gourd make sure you rinse it out with HOT water. DON'T USE SOAP!! Or else the gourd will end up absorbing the soapy flavor. Make sure you completely dry the gourd on the inside with a paper towel and then grab a new paper towel and put it inside the gourd to help it dry. Another mold reducing tip is put the gourd next to an open window to help it dry faster.The only problem that I have found with this gourd is that after using mine for a while the gourd has absorbed a lot of water and has started to expand creating little cracks at the top of the gourd.Nothing too serious for now but that's why I gave it 4/5 stars.Anyways the mate that comes with it has an amazing flavor. I hope whoever orders this product takes the time to take care of their gourd. If you take care of your gourd, your gourd will take care of you.Thanks!-Kev
W**H
Got me started, now I use it constantly
I ordered this kit because I wanted to end my dependence on coffee and energy drinks which I would always buy constantly. I would always use about half a truck full of splenda just to make coffee tolerable. Now that I've had this for about a month, I have yet to have touched an energy drink or a cup of coffee. I don't drink mate every day, but its not a jitter causing over-reactive drink compared to coffee which means you never wake up each day thinking "I NEED CAFFEINE"! I'm loving every single coffee and energy drink free day. Its funny because when I walk into a gas station people any more only open the energy drink cooler while I enjoy other drinks like I did when I was younger before energy drinks were prominent.As for the kit itself here's my review:1. All gourd of are of different designs when they arrive, mine was a lizard.2. The provided bombilla is incredible, works perfectly and filters a great amount of leaves.3. The provided amount of mate was incredible, its a huge bag for a starter kit.The mate that is provided is a fairly strong blend compared to the air dried kind that I buy. The first couple times you drink this, its strong and bitter, but it mellows out over time and you acquire a taste for it. I have yet to add sugar to any mate I've made and I plan on keeping it like that. A very good kit to get you started and keep going, just keep good care of the gourd and bombilla and you'll make this kit worth many times its money.
J**E
All you need to start brewing your own mate
The mate that comes with it isn't the top shelf, but it still has a great flavor and they give you a good amount of it. The gourd needs to be cured, but that's easy to do with some hot water and a spoon (or just use the included bombilla). The only downside is that the bombilla filters out the leaves by straining the water through thin slits in the side. Because of this you can't always drain your cup to the bottom, and some of the smaller leaves will get through. Not a big deal, but there are better bombillas out there.In all it is a great product and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to brew their own mate.
A**N
Eh.
It's okay. My sister spent a year in Argentina on Rotary Exchange and returned with a number of nice mate gourds of various types. This is nowhere near those. I bought this for my own use when she leaves with all of hers.The gourd is nice and pretty and mine is in fine shape minus a small chip on the lip of the gourd. It is a gourd so it can mold if not treated properly. People having problems with this is user error, not the product. Use some lemon juice if you need to to help clean it out and make sure it dries! Do NOT leave it sitting wet.The mate itself is subpar, but I suppose that's a matter of opinion. I personally prefer the likes of Union mate, which can also be fond on Amazon and at a better price.
J**L
Long lasting gourd.
I bought this over 5 years ago and was immediately worried that it was too fragile to last. On the contrary, this gourd is very durable if kept in a safe place. And, as the experts say, the tea tastes better after many uses.The straw is very high quality and the company's story is very admirable. Great buy!
S**E
but still pretty.
Cute gourd that is hand carved. Not all are animal motif, but still pretty.
E**N
Nice large gourd, love the pattern
The gourd was actually bigger then I expected. No problems curing it and the pattern is quite nice. I have bought inexpensive gourds before where the coloring bled as soon as the gourd was wet, absolutely no problems there.This is not the gourds fault, but as a note, don't drop them. I have been drinking mate almost daily for 6 years and never dropped my cup before, but the first week I owned this one I dropped it and cracked it in 2 places...super bummed.
V**L
The Yerba Mate tea is really good, but the gourd itself releases a strong bitter ...
The Yerba Mate tea is really good, but the gourd itself releases a strong bitter taste and nasty odor. I couldn't use it because it's definitely not something I'm used to. I love tea; I drink it 3 times a day and I heard about the Mate Gourd through a friend so I ordered it. I wish I would have saved my money!!!
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