the Yerba Mate Tea Gourd

I'm using an eco-friendly bamboo bombilla and I get bits of leaf coming throught the straw... should I have bought a metal one?

I don't think you need a metal bombilla to remedy your problem. The bamboo bombillas work admirably.

Many things may be occurring...

1) The yerba you are using could be high in powder content... or you are close to the end of the bag--where a lot of powder has sifted down to. If this is the case it might be good to fill the mate 2/3 full of yerba and then (before adding water or the bombilla) place your palm over the mouth of the mate, turn it upside down, and shake vigorously a dozen times or so: this will help get the powder up to the top of the mate. (We often relegate our low bags to a stove-top "mate cocido" bag--of yerba only used for that purpose.)

2) When placing the bombilla into the mate pour a little warm water into the low spot of the tea leaves (not wetting all of the yerba) and put your thumb over the tip of the bombilla before thrusting it down into the wet area of the tea, and to the bottom of the gourd. This will help keep tea from getting forced into the bombilla when you push it into the tea.

3) NEVER MOVE THE BOMBILLA AROUND IN THE MATE AFTER DRINKING HAS COMMENCED. ESPECIALLY NEVER MOVE IT IF YOU ARE DRINKING SOMEONE ELSE'S MATE THEY POURED FOR YOU. This kind of action, besides being a cultural taboo, is also likely to make air and water pockets in the tea which stir up powder and allow it to enter the bombilla. The tea around the bombilla, if you think about it, does a lot of the straining of material as well.

If these tips don't achieve any positive results let the Great Yerbini know. You can always order a tea filter bag for the end of the bombilla. What kind/brand of yerba mate tea are you experiencing this with?

at your service,