We tested for you… the Tereré, the cold maté

Mate is known to be a hot drink , with water at around 80°C.

But then, can it be consumed cold? What does this cold drink taste like?

The answer is yes! In Paraguay, iced yerba mate is actually the national drink, called tereré . The country's very hot temperatures and dry climate are ideal for drinking yerba mate iced.

Tereré is a cold drink made with yerba mate and iced water. The infusion is made directly with iced water, not with hot water that would be allowed to cool down.

The yerba mate used for iced tea It can be green , aged , roasted , or even flavored with fruits or plants like lemon , peach or mint .

In Paraguay, the drink is consumed in a guampa . This can be an emptied bull's horn or a stainless steel container surrounded by leather, to keep the drink fresh.

The water is contained in a thermos, the matera , with a few ice cubes to keep it very cold. Finally, the same tool used for hot mate is used to sip the drink: a bombilla , a metal straw with a filter tip.

So, to prepare cold or tereré mate, you need almost the same accessories as for hot mate:

• A mate gourd (or mate cup)
• A bombilla (or mate straw)
• A thermos or container, filled with very cold water
• Organic yerba mate

In other parts of South America, tereré is sometimes consumed with fruit juice such as lemon, orange or even grapefruit juice !

Tereré is a very social drink. Often prepared in gourds or guampas larger than maté, it is common in Paraguay to share it. It is even impolite to refuse it !