Mate is known to be a hot drink , with water around 80°C.
But then, can we drink it cold? What does this cold drink taste like?
The answer is yes! In Paraguay, mate consumed cold is actually the national drink, called tereré . The country's very hot temperatures and dry climate are conducive to drinking yerba mate iced.
Summary
What is tereré ?
A cold tereré or mate
Tereré is a cold drink made from yerba mate and iced water. The infusion is made directly with iced water and not with hot water that we would let cool.
Yerba can beplain, refined, roasted , or even flavored with citrus fruits like lemon, peach, or cinnamon.
How is tereré consumed?
Traditional accessories for the tereré
In Paraguay, the drink is consumed in a guampa . This can be a hollowed-out bull horn or a stainless steel container wrapped in leather, to keep the drink fresh.
The water is contained in a termo, the matera , with a few ice cubes to keep the water very cold. Finally, the same tool as for hot mate is used to sip the drink, a bombilla , a metal straw with a filter tip.
So to prepare a cold or tereré mate, you need almost the same accessories as a hot mate:
- A mate gourd (or mate cup)
- A bombilla (or mate straw)
- A thermos or container, with very cold water
- Organic mate
In other parts of South America, tereré is often consumed with fruit juice such as lemon, orange or even grapefruit juice !
Tereré is a very social drink. Often prepared in gourds or guampa larger than mate, it is common in Paraguay to share it. It is even impolite to refuse it !
But today, in times of Covid-19 , it is strongly discouraged to share it with friends to reduce the spread of the virus. The Paraguayan Minister of Health has even stressed the importance of no longer sharing the iced drink with family, friends or colleagues.
