Maté from the Gaucho Ronda
A hot, bitter infusion of yerba maté leaves, drunk from a gourd through a metal straw (bombilla), and passed from hand to hand. Stimulating, convivial, unsweetened in its purist version.
A hot, bitter infusion of yerba maté leaves, drunk from a gourd through a metal straw (bombilla), and passed from hand to hand. Stimulating, convivial, unsweetened in its purist version.
Give me the gourd, I'll show you. You fill it three-quarters full with yerba, tilt it, pour water that is hot but never boiling — otherwise you burn the soul of the leaf! You drink through the bombilla, until the last breath, then you pass the gourd to the next companion. It is bitter, yes, and so much the better: bitterness awakens a man. Around this maté, on campaign nights, I forged friendships that neither exile nor bullets could undo.
- •Dried yerba maté — a good handful (infusion)
- •Hot water (not boiling) — as needed (extraction)
Maté from the Gaucho Ronda
A hot, bitter infusion of yerba maté leaves, drunk from a gourd through a metal straw (bombilla), and passed from hand to hand. Stimulating, convivial, unsweetened in its purist version.
Why this dish? During his South American years, Garibaldi shared the daily life of the gauchos and the fighters of Montevideo, for whom maté is the infusion of every moment. The same gourd is passed around, a mark of brotherhood — a gesture that resonated with his republican ideal.
Give me the gourd, I'll show you. You fill it three-quarters full with yerba, tilt it, pour water that is hot but never boiling — otherwise you burn the soul of the leaf! You drink through the bombilla, until the last breath, then you pass the gourd to the next companion. It is bitter, yes, and so much the better: bitterness awakens a man. Around this maté, on campaign nights, I forged friendships that neither exile nor bullets could undo.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried yerba maté — a good handful (infusion)
- Hot water (not boiling) — as needed (extraction)
Ingredients
- Yerba maté — 50 g (gourd 3/4 full) (infusion)
- Water at about 75-80 °C — 1 thermos (extraction)
- Gourd (mate) and filter straw (bombilla) — 1 set (equipment)
Method
- Fill the gourd three-quarters full with yerba maté, cover the opening with your hand and shake to distribute the fine powder.
- Tilt the gourd to create a well on one side; pour a little warm water into the well and let the yerba swell for 1 min.
- Insert the bombilla into the moist well without stirring afterward.
- Pour hot water (75-80 °C, never boiling) into the well and drink until you hear the hollow sound of the straw.
- Refill with water and pass the gourd to your neighbor: each drinks in turn from the same bombilla, this is the ronda.
How it was made : Maté, an infusion of the plant Ilex paraguariensis, was in the 19th century the universal drink of the Río de la Plata, from gauchos to soldiers. It was drunk from morning to night, and sharing the gourd sealed equality and friendship among drinkers.
The contemporary twist : For beginners, a slightly sweetened 'mate dulce' or one flavored with orange peel softens the bitterness without betraying the ritual.
Giuseppe Garibaldi · Charactorium