Argentine "Mate" Cup: "Guampa""

This Argentine guampa is a special cup for drinking yerba mate, a popular tea brewed from the leaves of a native holly. The guampa is made from a small gourd and may be decorated with metal, as is this one, or decorated with pyro-engraving. Mate gourds are often fashioned with silver rims or collars and support bases.

"Yerba mate" is indigenous to the mountains of northern Argentina, southeastern Brazil and Paraguay. Yerba mate is prepared differently from regular teas. In a typical preparation, the gourd mate cup is filled about three-quarters full with loose yerba, and then tilted so the yerba is lowered on one side. A small amount of cold water is poured into the cup along the side where the yerba is lowest, and the mixture is allowed to sit for a minute. Additional hot water is added as the leaves absorb the moisture, and a froth will appear on the surface of the yerba.

A bombilla straw is inserted fully into the prepared cup. The bombilla has a filter to strain out the leaves entering the straw. The water is never heated to boiling, but is used at a slightly lower temperature of about 160 - 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Thermos bottles are used to carry water of the correct temperature which is used to replenish the cup periodically. The use of yerba mate is so common, that water of the correct temperature is often available at gas stations and other locations.The mixture is drunk a sip at a time until the cup is emptied, then additional hot water is added. The yerba mixture is reused until the flavor is gone from the infusion.

Most hardshell gourds come from the Old World Lagenaria siceraria family. Their woody shells can be more than an inch thick when the growing season is long enough. Hardshells will last thousands of years--they have been found in the pyramids in Egypt and in caves high in the Andes. So important were these gourds in the daily lives of native people, that they were introduced into human cultures throughout the world. Probably their most important use was for containers, including pots, pans and bowls.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_maté http://www.arizonagourds.com/yerbamate.html http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0503.htm