Tereré

Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Traditional tereré of water and herbs
Country	Paraguay
Reference	01603
Region	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	2020 (17 session)
List	Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

Tereré (of Guaraní origin^[2]) is an infusion of yerba mate (botanical name Ilex paraguariensis), similar to mate but prepared with cold water and ice rather than with hot water,^[3] and in a slightly larger vessel. This infusion has its roots in Pre-Columbian America, which established itself as traditional during the time of Governorate of Paraguay. The Guaraní people call this infusion ka'ay,^[4] where ka'a means herb and y means water.

History[]

Originally consumed by the Guaraní, its use was adopted during the Guaraní-Jesuit Missions time in the area of that missions. Tereré was spread by the emigrants, and for centuries was a social beverage. People usually prepare one jar of water and a guampa (or mate, or porongo) (Spanish) or cuia (Portuguese) with a bombilla (Spanish) or bomba (Portuguese) which is shared among the group of people. The area of the Guaraní-Jesuit Missions has a fairly hot climate and this drink is believed to refresh the body and can be a very low-calorie, non-alcoholic beverage. Additionally, it is an important ritual signifying trust and communion.

Many people drink tereré with added medicinal herbs, both medicinal and refreshing. In northeastern Argentina it is commonly prepared either with water, medicinal herbs and ice cubes (called tereré de agua (tereré prepared with water)) or citrus, as in south-western Brazil, fruit juices like lemon, lime, orange or pineapple. Although this practice varies depending on the region, since in Formosa Province (Argentina) it is more normally prepared with medicinal herbs. In Paraguay it is usually prepared with medicinal herbs, with the exception of the citrus juice preparation which is often prepared in the South of that country.^[5] Mixing fruit juices with tereré is commonly called tereré de jugo (tereré with juice)—in northeastern Argentina—or tereré ruso (Russian tereré)—more common in Paraguay—because this practice is more common with Slavic immigrants in the northeast of Argentina and southern Paraguay.

Guampas are containers that can be made from animal horns, commonly made from cattle horns, stainless steel, wood, mate porongo (a kind of cucurbit native from South America), or silver. Metal guampa are often covered with leather. Some new guampas or those not used for some time need to be wet before use, because the lower part is usually capped with a round piece of wood. Filling the guampa with water expands the wood, preventing leaks covering.

A bombilla is a metal straw with a filter at one end that is placed into the yerba.}^[6] Water is added to the guampa and sucked through the bombilla producing a clear, green liquid.

Preparation[]

Tereré consumed from a guampa made of cattle horn with a silver bombilla

.

Most preparations of tereré begin by filling a guampa 2/3 to 3/4 full of yerba mate.^[7][8] Then, ice cubes are added to water and usually stored in a vacuum flask. If herbs or juice are part of the preparation, they are added to the water at this point. When consuming, the water is poured over the yerba held in the guampa and extracted from the yerba with the bombilla.^[5] The liquid is refilled as desired.

Local customs[]

In Argentina, tereré is usually prepared with citrus juice and its consumption is increasing throughout the country, especially during the summer months, especially among younger millennials.^[9]

Tereré is part of the diet of native peoples of Argentina, such as the Qom people, who consume it within their diet based on stews and torta fritas or chipá cuerito. An investigation revealed that more than 90 percent of the Qom consume tereré frequently throughout the day.^[10]

Due to the hot climate, tereré is popular throughout the Central-West and Northern region of Brazil and is often prepared with a variety of juices, although coffee is still the most popular beverage in Brazil.

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tereré.

• Mate con malicia
• List of Brazilian dishes

References[]

Further reading[]

• Asunción 1537: Madre de la gastronomía del Río de la Plata y de Matto Grosso do Sul. Vidal Domínguez Díaz (2017).
• Poytáva: Origen y Evolución de la Gastronomía Paraguaya. Graciela Martínez (2017).