![]() This practice, symbolic of friendship and acceptance, begins with the cebador(a) (the person making the yerba/tereré) preparing the beverage, and drinking the first infusion him or herself. Millions of modern-day Guaraní all over South America still drink yerba mate, with time-honored rituals and customs persisting to this day most notably, drinking yerba mate and tereré with a group of friends or family gathered in a circle. Yerba mate is also enjoyed in Lebanon and Syria, thanks to Middle Eastern expats who went to live in South America, and then took it back with them upon their return. Interestingly, to the Guaraní, whether hot or cold, the drink is called ka’ay, which means simply, herb water ( ka’a = herb, y = water).įirst drunk centuries ago by the Guaraní people of Paraguay, Uruguay, Southern Brazil, and Northeast Argentina, yerba mate was believed to cleanse the spirit as well as heal it. ![]() A guampa can be a hollowed out bull’s horn, or made from leather, ceramic, or glass. However, unlike its hot counterpart (which is served in a mate – traditionally a hollowed out gourd), tereré is made and served in a larger vessel, called a guampa. Like yerba mate, tereré is sipped through a bombilla, which filters the plant material. The matera is a container (usually made from leather), which holds a thermal vacuum flask ( termo) of water, a bombilla (a straw with a filter on the end), a horn-shaped cup ( guampa), extra yerba, and any additional herbs which may be added to the tereré.Īn alternative to a matera is a termo, to which a sleeve is attached for the guampa, and a leather strap for slinging across the shoulders! In Paraguay, where temperatures can soar to more than 100☏, it’s not unusual to see people carrying around a matera to school or work, so deeply ingrained into the Guaraní lifestyle is drinking tereré. It’s even more refreshing when made in a hollowed out grapefruit! In the summer, I really like mine with cucumber, grapefruit juice, and fresh mint leaves. In other regions of South America, particularly in Argentina, tereré is often made with fruit juice – e.g. It can be drunk plain, or amped up with the addition of citrus fruits and herbs. Tereré, the national drink of Paraguay, is similar to an iced herbal tea, except it’s made with cold water right off the bat, rather than brewed with hot water, which is then cooled.
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