-
1
Crush the Herbs into the Water
5 Mins
Cold water, 1–5°C (34–41°F)
Put the crushed mint and burrito leaves into the jug of cold water with the ice cubes and stir once. Leave it for 5 minutes so the water takes on the green, herbal flavour — this is the pohã ñana infusion that makes terere more than just cold mate. Add the lime slices to the jug if you like a citrus note.
Crush, do not chop fine: bruised leaves give up their oils; shredded leaves just float about and clog the bombilla.
Done when: Water faintly green and smelling of mint; ice still solid.
-
2
Fill the Guampa with Yerba
3 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Fill the guampa about two-thirds full with yerba mate. Cover the mouth with your palm, turn it upside down and shake it firmly 4–5 times to bring the fine dust to the top, then tip the leaves to one side so there is a hollow on the other side.
The shake matters: it moves the dusty powder to the top so it does not clog the bombilla on the first sip.
Done when: Leaves in a slope, with a clear hollow on one side.
-
3
Add Ice and Pour the First Round
2 Mins
Ice-cold, 1–5°C (34–41°F)
Drop 2 or 3 ice cubes into the hollow of the guampa, then pour the cold herbal water over the yerba until the guampa is nearly full. Wait a minute for the leaves to drink it in and settle.
Ice in the guampa itself, not just in the jug, is what keeps each refill cold to the last sip.
Done when: Leaves darkened and settled; ice floating in the guampa.
-
4
Place the Bombilla and Sip
2 Mins
Serve ice-cold, 1–5°C (34–41°F)
Slide the bombilla into the hollow, filter end down, and hold it still — do not stir or move it again, or the leaves will block the filter. Sip through the bombilla straight away: the first sip should be cold, green and minty, with no leaves in the straw. One serving is one guampa, about 250 g.
Once the bombilla is in, it stays put. Moving it stirs the leaves into the filter.
Done when: A smooth, cold, herbal sip with no leaves in the straw.
-
5
Refill and Share the Round
3 Mins
Keep the water at 1–5°C (34–41°F)
When the guampa runs dry, refill it with more ice-cold water from the jug — a single fill of yerba gives many refills. In Paraguay the guampa is passed from hand to hand, each person drinking it all before it is refilled and passed on. Keep the jug iced: when the water warms up, the terere is done.
The flavour softens with each pour; the guampa is finished when the drink tastes of plain cold water.
Done when: Refills stay cold and flavourful; the round keeps going as long as the ice lasts.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Drink the terere as soon as it is poured, ice-cold, and keep refilling the same yerba until the flavour fades — one guampa, many pours, shared around the circle, is the whole point of the ritual.
Paraguay
1h 5m
