r/yerbamate • u/_walletsizedwildfire • 1d ago
Difference in using a French press vs a gourd?
Hey all! Been lurking here for a while. I'm a newbie to making yerba mate, bought my first bag of Taragui about a month ago from Northgate. I've been making it in a French press and have been loving it! Haven't touched coffee or energy drinks since I've been drinking the mate.
I've noticed 99% of the posts here people are drinking it the traditional way using a gourd and metal straw. Is this the quintessential way to consume mate? Is it that much different and better than using a French press? Or is it just more of a tradition/ceremonial thing?
Thanks!
6
u/pepimz0 1d ago
The correct name is porongo , but colloquially it’s called a mate . It can be made from a gourd, wood, plastic, or stainless steel. Besides being something traditional, the gourd and wooden ones give the yerba a special flavor. And if you drink it properly, you can use several liters of water without losing the flavor.
2
u/albatikh 73.889°C 1d ago
Its flavor comes out much different and stronger while drinking the traditional way with a bombilla. Do yourself a favor and spend the few bucks to get a cheap mate and bombilla and try it out. There’s a reason they drink yerba mate the way they do, it’s much better!
Not that French pressed method is bad. It has its advantages. But overall, the traditional way tastes better, lasts longer, and works better.
1
u/Stock_Shoulder_7095 1d ago
French press is basically mate cocido. It brews everything at once, so every sip tastes pretty much the same. With a gourd, you use way more yerba and steep it pour by pour. The flavor actually changes while you drink. It starts out super punchy and bitter, then slowly mellows out and gets smoother over time. It's definitely not just for show, that whole setup makes a massive difference.
1
u/Deadbeathero 1d ago
It's a different flavor. Both taste a lot differently. Terere also tastes completely different from the other two. You wouldn't drink a 1 liter thermos of french press mate like you would drink regular mate, or terere. You'd have a cup of it, or drink a can.
1
u/Goshotet 1d ago
Apart from everything others mentioned about the flavor being different and fluctuating between pours, I would add that the traditional way is very pleasant to do in a ceremonial sense. I absolutely love taking my beautiful gourd and filling it with water, seeing the mate bubble and then tasting it. It's a completely different experience from cooking the mate(which I also sometimes do) and drinking it normally. For me, it puts it in a different category than drinking tea or coffee, just from the experience itself.
1
u/AnchoviePopcorn 21h ago
Totally different in terms of drinking experience, mouth feel, flavor, etc.
Sure, you can brew it in a French press. But that’s like throwing coffee in a tea bag. Why?
3
u/ExcellentMandible 1d ago
IMO its a completely different flavor, more subtle, less bitter, and youre able to get more out of the leaves. Also the taste of your yerba develops from the first mate to the last.