OngTeh Editorial Team · Published 2026-10-26
Caffeinated botanical infusion · Ilex paraguariensis
Contains caffeine
South America · Paraguay
What exactly is it?
Its leaf ingredient is yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis. Traditional Paraguayan forms may include pohã ñana herbs prepared separately and mixed with cold water, with local practices varying.
Processing and preparation
The cold preparation is typically consumed through a filtered straw called a bombilla. The social ritual and knowledge transmission are central to the tradition.
How it is served
UNESCO inscribed practices and traditional knowledge of tereré in the culture of pohã ñana in 2020. This recognition concerns cultural heritage; it is not a medical endorsement.
Caffeine, ingredients and safety
Yerba mate naturally contains caffeine. Claims that added herbs treat disease should not be inferred from cultural use; ingredient identity and personal circumstances matter.
Why the name can be confusing
Tereré is cold mate; it is different from conventional iced green tea because its primary plant is a caffeinated holly rather than Camellia sinensis.
Claim-level source review
Checked 26 October 2026. The following narrow findings are traceable to their original publications. Their presence does not certify every statement elsewhere in this article or authenticate individual tea products.
UNESCO inscribed the “Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana” in 2020. The named element is the Paraguayan practice and its intergenerational knowledge, not a certification that all cold mate drinks are identical. [UNESCO inscription: Read unesco inscription source ↗]
UNESCO describes cold water mixed with crushed pohã ñana herbs, then served with yerba mate and drunk through a bombilla. The particular herbs and manner of preparation belong to a living tradition and should not be generalized into one universal formula. [Documented preparation: Read documented preparation source ↗]
The nomination references healing attributes in inherited popular wisdom; this is a cultural account, not a clinical determination that the herbs prevent or treat disease. [Health-evidence boundary: Read health-evidence boundary source ↗]
Still open: remaining article claims, relevant regional variations and source updates; product origin, composition and health effects require separate evidence.
References and verification
- UNESCO inscription — primary or institutional evidence
- UNESCO — Tereré and pohã ñana cultural heritage
- FAO — difference between tea and herbal infusions
How to cite this entry
OngTeh Editorial Team (2026). Paraguayan tereré: yerba mate, cold water and tradition. OngTeh. https://ongteh.com/tea-paraguayan-terere.html
This reference is compiled from identified primary or institutional sources. It is a description of a tea or cultural beverage tradition—not product authentication, a health recommendation or independent specialist certification. See our editorial standards.