How to Brew the Perfect Chimarrao (Brazilian mate)

Chimarrão – The Brazilian Mate

Chimarrão – The Brazilian Mate Pronounced “shim – a – how”, Chimarrão is the Brazilian style mate, and is really quite different to hot mate brewed in Uruguay and Argentina. Everything in Brazil is bigger and better! And Chimarrão is no different.. ideally brewed in giant cuia (gourd/cup) with huge long bombas (bombillas) with large round headed filters, if you get it right you will certainly be enjoying your erva mate (yerba) in true style!

Chimmarão Instructions: What do I need?

Yerba, Mate Cup, Bombilla & Hot Water (ideally use a flask)

Bomba, brazilian bombilla for chimmarrao

Known as Erva in Brazil, the yerba is very different to the other yerbas – bright green in colour it is a mixture of extremely fine powder, and very large stems. The bombilla is long with a large, round, wide filter. The preferred shape of gourd is with a wide open top but to help illustrate how to make Chimarrão, we have used a glass cup so you can see what is happening on the inside of the mate.

What do I do?

Fill the gourd to around 2/3 with the yerba mate

Step 2 – Form a “Yerba Wall”

Cover the top of the gourd with your hand and tilt upside down. Then return to horizontal so that all the yerba is on one side of the gourd. Then use the bombilla to press down on the yerba – slowly compacting the yerba into a tough “wall” against one side of the gourd. The other side will be completely empty, and will form the part where water is served into.

Step 3 – Swell and Infuse

Keep the gourd on an angle so as to maintain the yerba wall. Pour cool water into the empty side of the gourd – until nearly full. You now need to leave for approx 5 minutes to infuse. During this time, keep the gourd on an angle. We recommend leaning one side on something slightly raised such as the bombilla so you don’t have to hold it.

Step 4 – Insert Bombilla

Once the water is mostly soaked in, put the bombilla into the empty side, facing the yerba. Press firmly against the yerba wall and then twist into the wall, so the bombilla is at a right angle to the yerba. Once the bombilla is inserted it isn’t moved again.