Tereré

Tereré is a very typical drink here in Paraguay during the summer. And by typical, I mean almost everyone drinks it, and many times a day. It isn’t just a tasty beverage; it’s an important social aspect of Paraguayan culture. People will sit for hours catching up with neighbors and family over pitchers of Tereré.

So what is it, exactly? It is a drink made from yerba mate. There is the guampa (cup) and the bombilla (straw) and then a pitcher/thermos of water that you need to drink it. You put the yerba in the guampa, and then you add just a little bit of water and sip it through a straw. The straw is made of metal and is made so that none of the yerba slips through into your mouth. It’s delicious. And full of caffeine, so I literally need to stop myself when drinking so I don’t have too much. Before you drink it, it is recommended to eat a Tereré Rupa (bed for terere), because the caffeine can give you the shakes (in the same way coffee can if you haven’t eaten anything).

In the pitcher, you can add medicinal herbs to help you with things such as indigestion, diarrhea, pain, etc.

When the drink is served cold it is called Tereré, and when hot it is Mate. It is found all over Paraguay, and in some parts of Argentina and Brazil. When in a group, there is the person who made the Tereré, and they are sort of the “leader”. By that, I mean that they fill up the water for each person and you hand it back to them once you have finished your turn.

Some rules of Tereré (I have not learned them all yet…)
-Never mess with the bombilla. If you touch it or move it, it is seen as an insult to the person who made the drink
-Drink all the liquid before you hand it back. It’s only a couple sips, so that is easy.
-The “leader” (I feel like there is a word for this person but I am blanking) will always hand you the guampa with the straw facing you.
-It is passed around in a circle. You don’t get 2 cups in a row
-if you say thank you after you drink it, they assume you don’t want any more
-don’t have chapstick or anything on when you drink it, since it gets on the straw and then its gross to pass around
-and my personal favorite, don’t drink terere and eat watermelon together. Your stomach will explode.