TitiNicola · CC BY-SA 4.0Tereré
tereré
Yerba mate with ice-cold water and crushed herbs: the national drink and a UNESCO-listed heritage.
What it is
The guampa (a cup made of horn, wood, metal or plastic) is filled with yerba mate, the bombilla (metal straw) is pushed in, and ice-cold water is poured from a thermos or jug in which pohã ñana, medicinal herbs such as menta'i, burrito or lemon verbena, have been crushed. Each person drinks the whole serving and hands the guampa back to the cebador (the server), who refills it for the next person. There is also a version made with fruit juice: tereré ruso.
Ingredients
History
It has Guaraní roots, and Franciscans and Jesuits recorded its use from the 16th century. Law 4261/2011 declared it cultural heritage and the national drink. In 2020 UNESCO inscribed the “Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana, Guaraní ancestral drink in Paraguay” on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Did you know…?
A much-repeated story credits the Chaco War for spreading it, claiming soldiers drank it cold so a fire wouldn’t give away their position: it is popular lore, not proven fact.
When
All day, year-round, especially in the heat; National Tereré Day falls on the last Saturday of February.
Where
Everywhere: offices, plazas, highways, sidewalks and bus stops.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 4 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.