A great caffeine alternative to tea or coffee, this tea is a perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Get my simple cold brew recipe with lime! To serve, use a tea strainer over your cup.
Tereré – The Cold Brewed Version
Besides hot tea, there is a cold version called tereré. This cold-brewed drink refreshes and hydrates, adding flavor, especially in summer. This tea is a healthy, natural drink with nutritional value and benefits, appreciated throughout history. Although bitter hot tea is common; this beverage can be versatile. There are different ways of drinking depending on country, weather, situation or taste.
Customizing Brew Strength
When cold brewing, customizing brew strength is key. By adjusting amount and brewing time, you can create a drink suiting your taste perfectly. More tea and longer brewing means a stronger drink. After adding water, let it steep for hours, allowing flavors to develop and infuse.
We’ll explore 4 preparation methods – starting with the traditional gourd and bombilla. Other methods are the french press, tea bags, and cold brew. We’ll finish with herbs and ingredients you can mix with this tea to improve flavor or effects.
Origins and Flavor
Originating in South America, this tea is compared to green tea. Cold brewed, the leaves produce a mellow, less bitter infusion many find appealing. Terere, as it’s known in Argentina and Paraguay, is simply cold brewed tea. To make it, infuse leaves in cold water, often with lemon, lime, or mint. Unlike hot brewing which can lead to a bitter taste, cold brewing offers a milder, less astringent cup of tea.
Cold Brewing for Best Iced Tea
To obtain the best iced tea, cold brewing is best. Without pressing, let it sit in the fridge 1-20 hours depending on desired strength.
In Paraguay, this tea is drank cold, replacing hot water with iced water and herbs. Instead of a gourd, a cured cow horn contains the tea. This is called "tereré". This tea can also be prepared in a french press or automatic coffee maker where you’d put coffee grounds. If you dislike the taste, trade yerba mate for desiccated coconut and add warm milk instead of water.
We’ll add milk in a steamer to generate foam. In a glass filled with ice and cold brew, add foam. Enjoy!
Generally, this tea is steeped in hot water, not boiling, at a temperature similar to a green tea, around 160 to 180 degrees.
Cold Brewing Yerba Mate
Can you steep yerba mate in cold water? You can enjoy yerba mate brewed hot in a tea, but this iced version is a refreshing spin for summer. Cold brewing the tea preserves all of its amazing nutritional benefits.
This easy recipe for cold-brewed tea brews in the fridge overnight. It can be enjoyed straight, mixed with honey, or made into a smoothie in the morning.
Simply mix one part yerba mate with four parts cold water to create a perfect ratio for your cold brew. This ratio is a great starting point, but feel free to adjust the amount of yerba mate or water to suit your taste preferences.
Yerba mate is a species of the Holly Family native to subtropical South America. The plant is harvested and brewed similar to tea, to make a specialty beverage popular throughout South America. It is available in tea bags to be brewed at home or pre-brewed and bottled or canned. Both are great ways to enjoy yerba mate.
Yerba mate contains caffeine and other stimulants that may have negative effects on a developing fetus or nursing baby. So if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, understand the safety concerns before consuming yerba mate.
Traditional Brewing Instructions
Below are simple instructions for brewing yerba mate the traditional way:
- Use fresh, pure, cold filtered water. Spring water is best.
In this article, we’ll explore the 4 methods of preparing yerba maté — the traditional method, the french press method, the tea bag method, and cold brew yerba maté.
Tereré – The Cold Version
Apart from the traditional hot infusion, there is also a cold version called “tereré”. This cold brewed tea is perfect to refresh and hydrate the body, whilst having extra flavour.
French Press Method
Another option we present you is how to make yerba mate in a French press. A relatively fast and extremely easy way to prepare yerba mate. Add yerba mate to your frenches press and let it sit for a couple of minutes as it brews.