- Joel Muñoz
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
What is tereré?
Tereré is the perfect way to enjoy mate in the summer. This refreshing beverage combines Taragüi yerba mate with cold water, ice, and natural or flavored juices. It's easy to prepare: fill the mate with yerba mate, add cold water or juice, and let it steep for a few minutes. In addition to hydrating, tereré offers the same benefits as traditional mate, such as energy and antioxidants, but in a fresh and revitalizing way.
It's a beverage that combines yerba mate, ice, and water, and is typically consumed during the warmer months in countries like Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. It's common to add herbs or natural flavorings like mint, lemon verbena, grapefruit, and lemon to the yerba mate, although many tereré drinkers flavor it with juices as a quick and practical way to enjoy this beverage.
Although it's traditionally a hot beverage, mate also has a refreshing, cold version, ideal for summer: tereré. It's a healthier and more economical alternative to other beverages available on the market.
A survey conducted by Taragüi revealed some very interesting data on mate consumption in summer:
40% of Argentinians drink tereré, and 3 out of 10 admit to drinking it more and more.
The drink is becoming increasingly popular among young people: half of Argentines between 18 and 34 consume tereré during the summer.
According to the study, powdered orange juice is the most popular flavoring for tereré, followed by fresh water and flavored water.
How to prepare a good tereré for the summer?
To prepare a good tereré, we can use the same container we use for traditional mate, although any glass will also work. We place the yerba mate in the container and shake it lightly so the dust doesn't settle at the bottom. At the same time, we prepare the juice or fruit-flavored water with cold water and plenty of ice in a large thermos or pitcher.
To prepare it properly, first fill the mate or glass with the prepared juice or water. The first batch should be generous: we prepare it until the yerba mate is completely moist and let it steep for a few minutes. Then we insert the bombilla and add a couple of ice cubes. That's it! It's ready to drink.
Benefits of tereré
High temperatures can require extra hydration, which tereré provides ideally. It also has the well-known benefits of yerba mate: light, antioxidant, cleansing, energizing, and excellent for general well-being. It's the ideal drink to refresh you, no matter the occasion.