Tereré

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is usually consumed as a hot beverage, but in Región Mesopotámica – the northeasternmost part of Argentina – a cold drink made from yerba mate is popular as well, since it is more suitable for the region’s subtropical climate where the summer can bring 40+ °C heat.

 

This cool yerba mate drink is know as tereré in Spanish and ka’ay by the Guarani people that invented it. Ka’a means herb and y means water.

 

You can make tereré with just yerba mate and cold water, but adding fruit juice and extra herbs is very popular, and ice can be added to make the drink extra cold. Tereré with fruit juice is sometimes referred to as tereré ruso (Russian tereré) since it is associated with slaciv immigrants in norteastern Argentina. Examples of popular juices in tereré are orange, lemon, lime, mango, peach, grapefruit and pineapple. Herbs can be added for their taste or for their purported medical properties. Mint, lemon verbena and lemongrass are just a few examples.

 

Over 1,800 square kilometres of Región Mesopotámica is devoted to the cultivation of yerba mate plants.

 

Tereré recipe if you have a mate gourd

1. Pour some yerba mate into your gourd, until it is between 30% and 50% full (depending on your preferences).
2. Add ice.
3. Fill with cold water and/or juice. You can also add addtional herbs at this stage if you want to. Try to keep the yerba mate at the top of the fluids by keeping the top level dry when you fill the gourd with fluids. This will also help prevent the straw from becomming clogged with yerba mate.
4. Place your thumb over the tip of the mate straw and insert the filter end of the straw at an angle into the deepest part of the drink.
5. According to folklore, one should “wait while the saint has a sip” before the first person takes a drink through the straw when new tereré has been prepared.
6. After drinking, refill the gourd with fluids as needed.

Tereré recipe if you don’t have a mate gourd

If you don’t have access to a gourd, you can make your tereré in a cup.

1. Fill your cup with 30% – 50% yerba mate.
2. Tilt the cup until the yerba mate is spread out over one side of the cup.
3. Keep tilting the cup while carefully adding ice.
4. Pour cold water and/or juice into the the tilting cup. You can also add addtional herbs at this stage if you want to. Try to keep the yerba mate at the top of the fluids by keeping the top level dry when you fill the cup with fluids. This will also help prevent the straw from becomming clogged with yerba mate.
5. Place your thumb over the tip of the mate straw and insert the filter end of the straw at an angle into the deepest part of the drink.
6. According to folklore, one should “wait while the saint has a sip” before the first person takes a drink through the straw when new tereré has been prepared.
7. After drinking, refill the cup with fluids as needed.