🇵🇾 Paraguayan Cuisine

Tereré

Cold Yerba Mate Drink

Prep Time 5 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy

Ice-cold water infused with yerba mate and fresh herbs, sipped through a metal straw from a shared cup — Paraguay's national beverage and daily social ritual.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Fill the guampa about two-thirds with yerba mate.
  2. 2 Tilt the guampa so the yerba sits on one side. Insert the bombilla into the empty side.
  3. 3 Prepare ice-cold water in a pitcher or thermos. Add fresh herbs or citrus if desired.
  4. 4 Pour cold water slowly into the empty side of the guampa, letting the yerba absorb gradually.
  5. 5 Sip through the bombilla until the water is gone. Refill and pass to the next person.
  6. 6 Continue refilling and sharing throughout the gathering.

Did You Know?

Tereré was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020 — it is to Paraguay what tea ceremony is to Japan.