"Derek" > wrote in message
...
> While intrepidly exploring rec.food.drink.tea, Volfie "Scary
> Poppins" Jackson rolled initiative and posted the following:
>
> > I just bought the most marvelous little tea tool from Cargo and
> > James! http://www.cargoandjames.com/ It a metal sipping device
> > that has a flat but round mesh end in that goes in the cup and
> > it allows you to use loose tea leaves in your cup without
> > swallowing them when you sip your tea. (Not that I mind tea
> > leaves occasionally but this is just fun.) Now some of you
> > probably already knew that things like this existed but I sure
> > didn't and I've been drinking loose tea since I was a few years
> > old. Are there any other nifty tea tools out there I should
> > know about? I want to own them all!
> >
> > Giselle (having fun with my new tea-tasting experiments)
>
> What you are describing (and from visiting the site) is a Mate
> Bombilla. It is used with Yerba Mate and a gourd - a South
> American "thing."
>
> Basically, the gourd is filled with Mate, possibly some sugar, and
> hot water. The bombilla is used to drink from the gourd, which is
> often refilled so multiple steeps are common.
>
> It's also often a communal experience, with one gourd and bombilla
> being passed around.
>
> --
> Derek

Ah, yes, I remember it did come with a name but it didn't mean anything to
me. Now, just like Paul Harvey, I know the rest of the story. Thanks.

Now what is "Mate"?

Giselle (my family loves the bombilla, too, and will be getting them for
stocking stuffers next Xmas)