Although in Paraguay, parts of Brazil, and northeastern Argentina almost everyone knows it, some people find this popular and legendary drink a bit strange. The tereré is an infusion made from yerba mate, which is consumed with cold water (usually with ice) and contains herbs with medicinal properties. Its preparation involves pressing medicinal herbs that are then placed in a pitcher with cold, ice-filled water. It is served in a guampa — or a mate in Argentina — where the yerba mate is placed, and it is sipped through a bombilla.
Perhaps the high temperatures recorded in Paraguay have contributed to its widespread popularity. The combination of icy water with refreshing herbs like mint, cedar, or 'minty,' among others, creates a sensation of relief from the heat. The herbs or natural remedies used in its preparation are almost endless, each with a specific property indicating its use: 'menta’i' for the heart, 'burrito' for digestive issues, wormwood for diabetics, sassafras for rheumatism, horsetail for kidney function, 'cocú' for hypertensives, etc. It is very common to see people of all ages sharing a tereré in parks and plazas, and in some cities of the country, there are stalls that prepare it with the herbs you request and rent it out to those who want to drink it.
While it’s not very clear when the drinking of tereré began, some affirm that it was already a practice of the Guarani indigenous people, who later shared this tradition with Jesuit missionaries arriving in the 17th century. Others believe that the origin of tereré dates back to the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay, fought between 1932 and 1935, when Paraguayan soldiers drank cold mate to avoid igniting fires and alerting enemies.
As for the name of this infusion, there are different versions. Some say it comes from the onomatopoeic sound made during the last three sips through the bombilla, while others suggest it may derive from the Guarani phrase “té jere,” meaning “round of tea.”
Tereré holds such cultural significance in Paraguay that in 2011, the country’s Congress declared it the Official Drink of Paraguay and Cultural Heritage of the Nation. They also designated the last Saturday of February as the “Official National Day of Tereré.” In recent years, a fierce dispute has arisen between Paraguayans and residents of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, who want to claim the invention of the drink as their own and have initiated efforts to recognize it as a state historical patrimony. This has not sat well with many Paraguayans. Workers from the well-known Mercado 4 in Asunción have launched projects and proposals to have Paraguay’s National Intellectual Property Directorate recognize tereré as a Paraguayan invention. The conflict intensified when, in 2015, a Brazilian food company managed to register the word “Tereré” as a trademark, preventing any other producer in Brazil from using it.
Beyond its uncertain origins, the ambiguous etymology of its name, the disputes with neighboring countries, and the ancient legends surrounding it, tereré is deeply rooted in the culture of a nation that drinks, enjoys, and feels it as part of their passion — the Paraguayan passion.
