I was puzzled after finding a silver stick with holes in it among a dead relative's jewelry but it has a tasty use
User Scopperil posted to the 'What is this thing' thread: 'Silver stick, 15.5cm, with bands and small holes in a flat faced end. Marked 'la mulata".'
The utensil was found among a collection of silver items including jewelry, cutlery, and other kitchen items. But unlike the rest of the items in the box, the poster didn't recognize its use.
It had a flat part on the end that resembled a spoon but it was perforated with dozens of little holes. The handle was long with silver band details.
At first, they thought it might be a cocktail stirrer, but with so many tiny holes, that seemed impractical.
'Cocktail stirrer was first guess, but I worry it would get sticky and unpleasant behind the holes in the flattened bit,' they wrote.
The original poster said the label, 'la matula,' seemed to be derivative of Cuban culture, but the original owner wasn't Cuban and never visited the country.
Scopperil said: 'I've searched for silverware, 'la mulata', cocktail stirrers, and descriptions. There seems to be a Cuba vibe to the results but I don't think the owner ever went there.'
It turned out this was a common query for Reddit users and the answer is not what you may think.
A few people guessed that it may be used for making matcha tea, while others noticed that the utensil was actually used for consumption, not creation.
Reddit detectives said the item was used to consume a special kind of tea. The 'handle' was actually a hollow straw.
One commenter explained: 'You'll want to look up "bombilla" to find this. Yerba mate is steeped with quite a lot of leaves. This straw filters the tea from the leaves as you drink, and then the leaves can be re-steeped.'
According to May Clinic, yerba mate tea is a common drink from Latin and South American countries, perhaps explaining the Cuban label on the item.
It's known to have a strong, earthy taste. It has been described as having a smokiness and tobacco-like flavor.
The bombilla, as the commenter explained, is a drinking straw specially tailored for teas like mate which require more leaves for the flavor to come through. It was invented by native tribes in South America, according to Yerba Crew, and can be used for both sweet and bitter mate.
Not only did the original poster get to the bottom of a mind-boggling mystery, but they stumbled upon the perfect excuse to indulge in some yerba mate tea.
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