Tolotti’s Forno – Moida Fina

Beschreibung

This erva is produced near Palmera das Missioes, the former Brasilian capital of mate, and dried in a unique way invented by Mr. Tolloti, a musician of Italian origin living in Boi Preto (Black Ox).   Tolloti’s creation, nicknamed the Forno (oven) – hence the name Tolloti’s Forno – is a cross between a barbaqua and carijo.

Additional images and information about Tolotti can be found in our Mate do Brasileiro’s report.

Although he uses common woods to dry mate from leaves collected in the region, Tolloti’s special sapeco and drying techniques and his native Palmeira hands, impregnate this erva with  a rich smokey character, a silky cut and is one of the finest tasting mates that we have had.

Palmeira  was renowned for having the best mate in the Pampas before the Brasilian Mate industry in the 1980’s started to import cheaper mate saplings from Argentina, which affected the taste of the native erva.  Adhering to tradition,  Mr. Tolloti also pounds the erva on a wooden “Soque” Pounding Mill connected on a water wheel turned by the river.   He is very particular about the sapeco of his erva and only him and his father are allowed to handle the mate leaves with fire.   Tolloti belongs to a handful of mate harvesters who are still production mate in resistance according to tradition.  Tolloti’s Erva is a finely ground, rich, unique and complex drink for one who enjoys a smoked treat.