INITIAL STATISTICAL DATA
bombilla
The bombilla is a metal straw used in many countries in South and Central America to drink the mate. It has a stem that ends with a rounded head pierced by tiny holes that filter the drink by passing the liquid part and holding the solid particles.
There are bombillas of many materials and designs, but the original one was made out of a carved bamboo stick, to which an essicated berrry with holes pierced in it was attached as a filter.
It is nowadays some kind of small pipe, cane, tube or straw made in bamboo, wood, metal, plastic and used specifically to drink mate.
It is indeed a heritance from the Colonial Era, even though there are proof of myths from the Guaranì tribe that tell about a similar object, probably its very ancestor, being used to the same purpose. Colonial Era bombillas have come with a deeper study of its function and hence, design. In fact, what is most common about these bombillas are the artistic designs on the exterior.
The Guaranì tribe called their correspondent item takapì*.
Today bombillas are almost always made of metallic materials, the cheapest ones are produced in nicheled bronze and the most expensive ones are done out of inoxidable iron, alpaca, or even silver, and covered in gold.
Some of the cheapest mates come with plastic bombillas, which are usually not reusable, and are obviously the most hated by ortodox mate drinkers.
Curiously, there are some bombillas that are covered in palosanto wood, and these are very rare and artisanal.
Mate, if not prepared correctly, could clog. This happens when the yerba and mate are not prepared accordingly, and thestraw is not positioned at the right angle,and covered in yerba as it is supposed to be. Clogging occurs when the mate water won’t get up the straw, or when it would taste badly. This could be as well caused by the accumiulation of yerba dust inside the straw. It is very important to keep the straw clean as well as the cup; if not, it will get dustry and subsequently crusty from the accumulation of residues and it could be dangerous for one’s health to ingest such substances. Furthermore, it changes the flavor of mate.
Thare are currently three ways of avoiding this from happening: changing the straw very often, which would be though, a very expensive choice; using the special cleaning device that you can buy at supermarkets or online; or applying an extra, thinner filter to the bottom of the straw, which was designed specifically for this job, and is not yet very popular among South Americans.
