How to Choose a Yerba Mate Cup: A Simple Guide

Time to Read: 7 minutes

Excited to start drinking mate but overwhelmed by all the options? This is the guide for you. We have narrowed it down to the main things that actually matter, in two simple steps.

What style of mate will you be drinking?

This is the most important question. Mate varies from region to region and person to person, but there are four main styles, roughly matching the country where they are drunk: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

If you have already tried mate and liked it, start there, and ask whoever made it. If you cannot, try to remember: was it hot or cold? Sweet or bitter? Strong or soft? Did you taste anything besides the yerba? If you have not tried it yet, these general guidelines will help (every matero has their own way, so treat these as starting points).

Argentinian yerba mate has a higher proportion of stems, giving it a softer taste than Uruguayan mate or chimarrão. It is drunk hot, and it is common to mix in herbs or spices, or to drink it sweet.

Chimarrão, drunk in the south of Brazil, is generally lighter, fresher, and softer than Argentinian and Uruguayan mate. It is great for beginners because it is less bitter, but it needs a special gourd and bombilla.

Tereré is Paraguay's official drink, and it stands apart because it is brewed and served cold. It looks similar to Argentinian yerba but is easy to spot, since it comes with fresh herbs, ice, and sometimes fruit juice.

Uruguayan mate is drunk very hot, with no herbs, spices, or sweeteners. The yerba is probably the strongest and most bitter, toasted and roughly cut, and stemless, looking nothing like chimarrão.

Still not sure, or want to try several styles with one cup? No problem. A few cup types work well for multiple styles.

Do you want to cure your mate cup?

This might seem premature, but it hugely narrows down which cup you need.

Cups made of calabash, wood, and bone

Curing (“curar el mate”) is a mandatory process for organic cups: calabash gourds, wooden cups, and guampa.

Mate gourds are made from a type of calabash or squash, the original and most traditional option. The gourd is emptied, dried, and finished (often with a metal or leather stand so it sits flat). Wooden cups can be made from rosewood, algarrobo, oak, orange tree, and more, then cut, dried, carved, and finished.

One note: we recommend against quebracho or palo santo cups. Both come from trees registered as endangered on the Global Forest Resources assessment and the IUCN Red List. With so many other options, they are easy to avoid.

Guampa cups are made from cattle horn, cut and shaped for drinking. Curing matters because it closes the pores and prevents mold from forming; with guampa, it also removes excess oil and bacteria. Curing is simple but takes a little patience: you will not drink your first mate right away, and you will need to watch it for a few days. After curing, keep organic cups away from humidity, since mold can still appear.

Organic cups also absorb some of the yerba's flavor. That is a plus if you always drink one style, since it deepens the taste over time. But if you plan to switch between traditional and sweet mate, we do not recommend them, since you will taste sugar in your bitter mate, and vice versa.

Cups made of non-organic materials

Non-organic cups, such as silicone, glass, metal, or ceramic, do not need curing, and you care for them like any ordinary cup. They will not absorb the yerba's taste (though you should empty them right after the mateada), so they work for both sweet and bitter mate.

Which cup should you choose?

With all of the above in mind, here is a quick cheat-sheet.

What else should you consider?

Once you have the material, think about size. Chimarrão needs a big gourd, Argentinians usually use a small cup, and for Uruguayan mate and tereré a medium size works well.

You will also see different shapes: open-mouth cups (like those for chimarrão) and closed-mouth ones, with glass and ceramic cups often imitating one or the other. Shape is really just preference and will not change the taste, so do not overthink it.

Finally, consider durability and whether you will travel with your mate. Glass and ceramic cups, even when wrapped in leather, are more fragile than metal cups or gourds. At the other end, silicone cups are nearly unbreakable and very light.

What's next?

Now that you have chosen a cup, you will need a bombilla and some yerba. We have an in-depth guide to the different kinds of bombillas and one on choosing your first yerba mate. When you are ready, browse our mate gourds and starter kits to put it all together.

Other articles you may enjoy

All About Bombillas (Yerba Mate Straws)

Choosing Your First Yerba Mate to Try

Taking Care of Your Yerba Mate Kit