First I must clarify something for those without this blessed habit of drinking mate: Originally, the word "Mate" was used to designate the natural gourd used as a receptacle, where the grass is placed. Then the word was popularized in Castilian and by extension call and to any container to replace the natural. Often also said plant mate when actually wants to talk about the yerba mate plant is the Paraguayensis Ilex, since for content ratio continent has passed the word to designate matte infusion yerba.
Rinse these items will say that here we describe the zucchini plant to mate, also called pot plant
Mate gourd, gourd, biscuit, water gourd, mati, Puru, caiguá, Yeruá, gourd, gourd, or calabash gourd.
Its botanical name is Lagenaria siceraria family of Curcurbitaceae.
Accompanies man from the earliest cultures, its fruits were used as vessels from pre-agricultural times. Peru's archaeological remains dating back 11,000 to 13,000 years, in Mexico 7000 years in the old world and its cultivation is documented in Egypt 2,000 years ago. In Europe it was known since Roman times and was cultivated before the Age of Discovery.
Their presence in prehistoric America can be explained by a dispersion very old before Africa and South America separated. Another possibility is that the fruits float from Africa and reached the coast of South America. The man then multiplied and which were used as containers for carrying water, grain and other uses.
Why is the plant called mate?
By matt in Quechua is called: "mati", meaning cup or drinking vessel, but became widespread as a name for vulgar as the fruit of the gourd Lagenaria siceraria.
The scientific name of this plant is based on the particular shape of its fruit and use that gave the Indians, using them as bottles, because "lagena" is Latin for bottle.
The Incas designated by the name of "puru". The fruit of the gourd, in all its varieties, has served as the poorer classes dishes indigenous and Creole.According shape porongo also call or cookie. The Guarani's called "caiguá", its etymology is "caa" yerba, "i": water and "gua" means a container. It means "water bowl of grass".There are varieties of different sizes. Large ones were called "yerua" in Guarani and "gourd" in Quechua.Cultivation
Kill plants are annual vines, summer growth. Trellises require that their fruit to develop properly without soil moisture. It should therefore be planted against a wall or woven wire but placing wires to guide him. Roundabouts are ideal for summer as its very rapid growth. Its stem has tendrils to climb.Mates have unisexual flowers, white corolla, and open in the evening and last one and a half, with musky odor that attracts bats and nocturnal insects. They are also good pollinators bumblebees. Male flowers appear first and then the female. How outcrossing is required, increasing the variability of sizes and shapes when planted different typesThe fruits are large variety of shapes and sizes. Some cylindrical fruits reach over 3.5 m. long, while others are spherical, flattened (matt biscuit). The fruits grow beneath the dried flowers are green and very small at first, then reach their size depending on the variety planted pot.In commercial plantations, they are usually planted at a distance of 3m. between grooves running from north to south to have good sunshine during the morning and evening. The spacing between plants should be 1.5 to 2m. planting is done once frost ended with three seeds per hole, after thinning to leave the best plant. It can be grown in all provinces of Ecuador .
At the household level, and particularly in my case because I like the planted and despite being a very beautiful plant is easy to decorate courtyards and gardensIt is sown as stated earlier in spring, directly into the venue, but in these parts as spring frosts may be some seeds are protected with a plastic bottle or container transparent pet, which is cut to the height of peak using one body and base of the bottle is placed upside down on the seeds sown. The plastic should give some holes with scissors to breathe seedlings .. This acts to protect small hothouse small frost seedlings until completion. Do not even think about planting it elsewhere and then do a transplant because it does not resist.Born and grow seedlings beneath the bottles, when they finish ready frost ... plastic is removed.NeedsNeed fertile soil (if the soil lacks calcium are weak and split easily), out of the wind, humidity and should therefore watering every day of the summer, can not stand frost. It is very resistant to pests and diseases.
The fruits are picked when ripe, with the pendulum completely dry. In these circumstances plant can withstand frost. They are stored in a dry, ventilated, shaded to complete dehydration. Dryers can be made of reeds, sticks or wire fabric roof to keep out the rain, or as in my case the dry indoors in a place that will air reef points or hung by their stalks to be more scientific to dryness . This is noticeable when you shake and noise produce seeds inside.
Ojo must cure before using
Curing is done by washing the fruit with detergent that does not contain bleach and stiff bristle brush or loofah. After drying in a ventilated, shaded and avoiding touching the fruits. Once dry you can apply varnish, wax or paint. Generally mates are thick-skinned and dark-skinned with thin colored. The seeds should be stored dry well, these are kept for several years
As I said the ancient peoples used them to transport water or grain today, they are generally used as containers for drinking mate, yerba mate placing inside. If you want to use for this purpose must heal inside. The idea is to impregnate and seal with a patina of yerba inside the porous walls of the pumpkin, but this will be a separate chapter.
Even today many people use them for crafts, ornaments, lamps, flowerpots, etc..
After selecting the pumkin begins to design what you want to capture on mattte depending on the inspiration of each artist and always having refrence Moche inconography. use to do a pencil or maker coal
It is used to craft the instrument called "chisel"
burins
After the cut is necessary to burn the parties are required to give the tone sought according to the design, using oven to fathom, candle wax, electric pyrographer. Etc.
reliefs filled with white paint, cleaned and took shine ...
use this tool to empty or tallar.las areas want ..
