Recipe · Drink
Tereré – ice-cold mate with citrus
Tereré is mate on ice: erva-mate in a cuia, ice-cold water with citrus poured over it, sipped through a bombilla. It comes from Paraguay but is also popular in Brazil, especially in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Method
- Fill the cuia about two thirds with erva-mate. Cover with your hand, shake briefly and hold upright again so the fine powder collects at the top.
- Tilt the cuia so the erva lies on one side and a hollow remains on the other.
- Prepare the water, ice cubes and lime juice (orange and mint if you like) ice-cold in a jug or insulated bottle.
- First pour a little cold water into the hollow and let it soak in. Then push the bombilla, strainer end down, into the hollow.
- Sip through the bombilla and keep topping up the hollow with cold water until the flavour fades. Do not move the bombilla while drinking.
- Temperature: Use only cold water for tereré. Chimarrão, by contrast, is made with hot but not boiling water (about 70–80 °C).
- Erva: Tereré erva is usually cut coarser so the bombilla does not clog. Chimarrão erva also works but is finer.
- Variations: orange slices, pineapple juice or mint (hortelã) instead of lime.
- Caffeine: Erva-mate contains caffeine. In pregnancy, while breastfeeding or if you are sensitive to caffeine, ask a doctor first.
Handy extras
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Cuia, bombilla and erva-mate
The chimarrão set also works for tereré. Pour with ice-cold instead of hot water.
Insulated bottle / flask
Keeps the ice water cold for a long time, handy for several refills.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tereré and chimarrão?
Both are drunk from erva-mate through a bombilla. Chimarrão is a hot infusion, while tereré is made with cold water and often with citrus.
Do I need a cuia?
A cup will do in a pinch. What matters is the bombilla with a strainer. The classic way is with a cuia and bombilla.
Where does tereré come from?
From Paraguay. In Brazil it is especially popular in Mato Grosso do Sul.
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