Calabasas And Bombilla - Enjoy Mate To The Fullest

Calabash ( calabas ) is a dish made of a calabash tree or a dried pumpkin. This dish is most common in Africa, South America and New Guinea.

Calabasas will be made for storing and brewing local traditional drinks, in particular mate . Dishes are often decorated with ethnic ornaments, bright painting or carving of various drawings.

Calabasas are most often made from pumpkins. Vegetables specially grown for this purpose are sorted by size. Then they are used to make dishes of various types: personal or for joint drinking.

A calabash is almost always used together with a metal or cane straw, which is called a "bomilya".

It is also intended for drinking mate . Also, like calabash , bombilla is often decorated in African or southern style.

Usually the bombilla consists of 3 parts: a metal tube; a tip that acts as a filter; and, directly, the upper part that touches the lips.

If you like to drink mate hot, you should choose a short wooden bombilla. If you prefer a cool drink, a long silver cane will suit you.

Calabasas and bombillas are considered ritual objects. The peoples of Africa, as well as the ancient Indians, have beliefs that talk about the magical power of dishes and canes. A person who drinks a drink in a calabash feels a wonderful, positive influence.

Use of calabash

Before starting to use the calabash , the dishes must be "revived".

The revitalization ritual takes place as follows: the calabash is half filled with mate , poured with hot water and left for 10 hours. During this time, the dishes should be saturated with the spirit of mate . Then the calabash is thoroughly washed and dried.

Only after this preparation of the dishes , you can brew mate in it - crushed dried leaves of Paraguayan holly.

A calabash that has not been used for 2 weeks must be revived.

It is believed that the calabash acquires exactly the aroma of mate , which was first brewed for the revitalization procedure. Therefore, do not regret to buy a high-quality, tasty drink for this. Good varieties of mate are considered "Union", "Taragui", "La Merced". There is also a special technology for brewing the drink, which contributes to the full disclosure of the taste and aroma of mate .

What is a calabash made of?

You can choose a calabash according to several parameters. Each of them plays an important role in the taste and aroma of mate brewed in a pot .

As mentioned above, the most traditional and correct will be the pumpkin calabash .

Natural and ecologically clean material is best suited for brewing mate . However, such dishes need to be carefully cared for, otherwise they can become moldy or crack.

It is also worth remembering that the pumpkin has the ability to soak up all the smells that remain in the texture for a long time. The smell of milk is especially persistent.

In addition to revealing the aroma of mate , the drink in such a calabash also receives the aroma of the tree itself.

With this in mind, you need to pay attention to the type of wood from which the dishes are made . Some trees have a really pleasant "forest" aroma and taste, but not all.

In general, a wooden calabash is also not bad, besides, it does not necessarily need to be revived.

A calabash made of metal or ceramic is a more expensive option. On the one hand, such utensils are really prestigious, but on the other hand, drinking mate in such a calabash is not so pleasant.

In addition, the mystery of generations and customs is lost, a calabash made of such materials does not look like a magical object. Although it has its advantages — metal and ceramics do not absorb odors.

If you don't have calabashes yet , you can brew mate in a regular teapot for a gas stove, the main thing is to follow the brewing technique.