The Archive
100 guides · page 4 of 9
Explainer
What Is a Pava?
The mate kettle — built to heat water to just below boiling (~150–175°F / 65–80°C), never boiling. Why that temperature matters, and why a modern variable-temp kettle works just as well.
Read the guide →7 min
Explainer
What Is a Guampa?
The cup of tereré — the cold-brewed mate of Paraguay and northern Argentina. What a guampa is, how it differs from a hot-mate gourd, and how to care for one.
Read the guide →7 min
Review
thebmate Calabash Gourd Review (2026)
An authentic Uruguayan calabash, leather-wrapped — the vessel mate has been drunk from for centuries. It must be cured and hand-cared for, but that upkeep is the point.
Read the guide →7 min
Comparison
Smoked vs Unsmoked Yerba Mate: The Drying Guide
How a mate is dried decides how it tastes more than brand or price does. Smoked is wood-fire-dried and campfire-y; unsmoked is air-dried, clean, and green — and it's the fix for 'I didn't like mate.'
Read the guide →8 min
Comparison
Rosamonte vs Cruz de Malta: Which Yerba Mate Should You Buy?
Bold and aged vs smooth and mellow — two classic smoked Argentine kilos, head to head on strength, flavor, dust, and price. Here's which one belongs in your gourd.
Read the guide →8 min
Review
Rosamonte Yerba Mate Review (2026): Worth It?
Bold, aged (~24 months), smoked, and full-bodied — the Selección Especial reviewed for drinkers who want real intensity in the gourd.
Read the guide →8 min
Review
Pajarito Yerba Mate Review (2026): Worth It?
Paraguay's best-selling mate — long-aged (~24 months), lightly smoked, and unusually smooth and aromatic — reviewed by the kilo.
Read the guide →8 min
Review
Mateina Yerba Mate Review (2026): Worth It?
Mateina is zero-sugar, cold-brewed yerba mate in a can — 120mg of natural caffeine, ~20 calories, and the cleanest grab-and-go swap we've found for an energy drink or a third coffee.
Read the guide →8 min
Explainer
Yerba Mate Etiquette: How to Share the Gourd
Mate is a ritual of friendship, and it has unwritten rules: who serves, how you drink, why you never move the straw, and the one word you don't say until you're done.
Read the guide →6 min
Explainer
What Is Mate Cocido? Yerba Mate Brewed Like Regular Tea
The cup-and-teapot version of mate — no gourd, no bombilla, milder, and the everyday breakfast drink for kids and families across Argentina and Paraguay.
Read the guide →7 min
Comparison
Kraus vs Guayakí: Which Unsmoked Yerba Mate Should You Buy?
Two organic, unsmoked mates — the purist's gold standard vs the brand you can find anywhere. Head to head on smoke-free purity, drying method, price, and availability.
Read the guide →8 min
Review
Kraus Yerba Mate Review (2026): Worth It?
Kraus is the brand to reach for if you've ever decided you didn't like yerba mate — because the thing you disliked was probably smoke, and Kraus is the gold standard for genuinely smoke-free mate.
Read the guide →8 min