Tereré: How to Make Cold Yerba Mate
1 min read By Mataye
In brief
Tereré is cold yerba mate, the traditional drink of Paraguay. What it is, how it compares with hot mate, and three ways to make it at home.
Tereré is yerba mate brewed with cold water, ice or juice instead of hot water. It comes from Paraguay, where it is drunk all day in the heat, and the practice of tereré with medicinal herbs was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. It tastes smoother and less bitter than hot mate and has much the same caffeine. Here is how to make it. For the basics, see our yerba mate guide.
Tereré vs hot mate
| Tereré | Hot mate | |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid | Iced water or juice | Hot water, 70 to 80°C |
| Taste | Smoother, less bitter | Stronger, more bitter |
| Traditional cup | Guampa (horn or wooden cup) | Gourd |
| Caffeine | Still a lift; varies with leaf and refills | Similar to coffee per serving |
| Often added | Fresh herbs (mint, lemongrass) or citrus | Sometimes sugar or herbs |
How to make tereré: the traditional way
- Fill a guampa or gourd about two thirds with yerba mate.
- Fill a jug with very cold water and ice. In Paraguay, crushed fresh herbs such as mint or lemongrass are often added to the water.
- Insert the bombilla, pour a little cold water, sip it all, and refill.
- Pass it round: tereré is usually shared.
Tereré with juice
Use cold orange, lemon or pineapple juice instead of water. It is sweeter and especially easy for beginners. Check the sugar in the juice.
Quick cold brew in a jug
- Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of yerba mate to a litre of cold water.
- Leave it in the fridge for a few hours.
- Strain, pour over ice, add lemon or mint.
The easy version: a cold-mix sachet
If you want cold yerba mate without leaf or straining, a sachet does the same job in seconds. Super Yerba Mate is a cold-mix sachet you stir into cold water: raspberry lemonade flavour, around 100 mg of caffeine, 2 g of sugar, plus ashwagandha, lion's mane, vitamin D3 and magnesium. More methods in how to drink yerba mate.
Does tereré have caffeine?
Yes. It is the same leaf, so it carries caffeine. Cold water may draw out a little less per pour, but repeated refills add up. See yerba mate caffeine for numbers and daily limits.
Read next: yerba mate benefits.
Sources
- UNESCO, Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana
- European Food Safety Authority, Caffeine
