Warm your gourd (cuia) or serving vessel by filling it with hot Water; let it sit 20–30 seconds, then pour the warming water out.
Fill the warmed gourd about half to three-quarters full with Yerba Mate, allowing enough space for water and the bombilla (metal straw).
Tilt the gourd so the yerba forms a sloping mound, leaving a hollow space on the lower side; this creates a pocket to receive the liquid without disturbing the whole pile.
Gently insert the bombilla into the hollow at the low side of the mound so its filter sits against the yerba and remains stable.
Heat more water to just below boiling (roughly 70–80°C / 160–175°F). Carefully pour a small amount of the hot water into the hollow to moisten the base of the yerba and let it absorb for 20–30 seconds — this primes the mate and prevents it from becoming scorched.
Once the base is moistened, continue refilling the gourd with hot water as desired, always pouring into the same hollow pocket and sipping through the bombilla. Replenish water several times until the infusion becomes weak, then refresh the yerba or prepare a new gourd.
