Like other brewed herbs, "yerba mate" leaves are dried, chopped, and ground into a powder called "yerba". The "bombilla" is both a straw and a sieve. The end which is placed in the drink is wider, with small holes or slots that let the brewed liquid in, but block the chunky matter that makes up much of the mixture. A modern "bombilla" uses a straight tube with holes, or spring sleeve to act as a sieve. "Bombilla" means "light bulb" in Spanish, but locally it is "little pump" or "straw".