Ilex Paraguariensis

...is the scientific name of the plant known as "Erva Mate" (Mate tea). It is a shrub that grows in southern and central area of Brazil, being found in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina as well. The Guarani indians used to mix leaves and other parts of this plant with water to make a bitter-tasting tea out of it.

Legend states that the plant was offered to an old indian hermit by a stray emissary of God, in exchange for generous shelter and food offered by his host. The plant, named "Cáa Yaráa" would be a past time for moments of solitude, as a healthy and tasty beverage could be made from it.

According to the tradition (drinking mate is a true ritual), tea can be consumed hot, inside a recipient named cuia. In this case, it is known as chimarrão (from the spanish word cimarrón-wild cattle) and the herb used is very powdery and lush-green. When consumed cold, it is better known as tererê. It is served inside a guampa-a slice of a bull's horn with a wooden bottom. The horn has 3/4 of it filled with a roughly cut herb (slices of leaves and wooden sticks). After filling it, one has to lay it horizontally, covering the open part with his hand. Thus, the herb will be disposed in a way that water can be poured in. Finally, one has to place the "pump" (bomba), a metalic straw-like tool used to filter and drink the water.

Cold tererê inside the guampa. Ready to drink!

You cannot move the pump once it is placed or the herb may block the passage of water, making it difficult to drink. The one who prepares the tererê drinks the water until a loud noise can be heard, meaning it is empty. This act is called "making the guampa snore". Then it is filled again and shared between friends. This usually happens in the countryside, where cattle herders get together around the fire at night to tell stories, sing, eat and drink.

A drop of tea.

In Brazil, tererê is very common in the Central Region, specially in Pantanal. It is also widely consummed in Paraguay. As for the hot variety, chimarrão, it is more common in Uruguay, Argentina and the Southern part of Brazil. I am more of a tererê drinker myself, though I appreciate a hot chimarrão from time to time...

That's how the erva mate for tererê looks like.