Caring for your cuia is an essential part of mate hygiene. A well-seasoned calabash can last a lifetime. There are many techniques for curing your mate gourd before using involving elaborate rituals of soaking it with used mate leaves, or setting the insides on fire with alcohol and then coating with honey for 24 hours. Pyromaniacs are welcome to have their fun; in this article we will explain a technique to cure your cuia over a longer period of time.
Although the small round gourds are more stereotypical in mate imagery, we choose to work with directly sourced stable Calabasas from a cuia cooperative. These cuias have a wider opening and are already sanded on the inside to give a smooth clean surface.
You may rinse your gourd out with warm water and use immediately.
When you are done drinking for the day throw out the use leaves and wash your gourd with warm water. NEVER use soap to clean your gourd. Please be aware that especially the beginning the pores of the gourd are sensitive and can easily absorb strong flavours. Therefore, we advise using pure mate leaves in the beginning.
Empty out the water and add 1 -2 tbs of old mate powder into the cuia. This is normally included in your purchase from Meta Mate, otherwise any old mate leaves will suffice.
Cover the top of the cup and shake it around until you have the feeling that the mate is evenly distributed on the inner surface.
Leave the cuia in a dry bright place for a couple of days. You can check if it is ready for drinking by putting your fingers deep inside, if the mate leaves are still moist, it still needs a bit of time.
When the cuia is try you should be able to shake out the mate powder, if you feel the need you can rinse it and then drink a mate. Repeat the process with the mate powder afterwards. (this can be done the first 3-4 times after drinking
Even a well used cuia can get mouldy if not cared for properly. For this reason we caution drinkers to take care and don’t leave their gourds sitting for over 24 hours with moist mate leaves inside on a regular basis. And please ensure that you allow your gourd to properly dry between one usage and another.
Even a well seasoned cuia with a hard smooth inner surface should be given a rest at least once a week. If you don’t have an alternative such as a ceramic cuia, try a regular coffee cup.