Tereré!!

[Manny]

Just thought I'd share a bit of the culture where I'm living with you guys for discussion!
Well let me explain what exactly "Tereré" is. Tereré is a herbal drink originated in paraguay. It's like a tea, a social tea. Here is your basic kit:
http://www.selecta.com.py/images/productos/kit_terere.jpg
The thing you drink out of is done by a bull horn, hollowed out - it is called a guampa. Mine looks just like this, a real chique one, with class (like mine, its plated in silver: course i have basic normal ones as well):
http://www.strawbaletradingpost.homestead.com/files/tYMMGP800aa_B_Guampa_con_vireola_y_abajo_en_Plata_ 800.JPG
You fill the guampa with herb next. the herb looks something like this:
Yerba Mate (http://primates.ximian.com/~miguel/images/sudamerica/mate.jpg)
Yeah it looks like weed, but i swear its not
Last you need your little bomba. this is your siphon, straw, canulo whatever you wanna call it. looks like a spoon with holes at the bottom, which you sip through the top.
http://www.osplayback.hpg.ig.com.br/figuras/bomba.gif
People drink it in a roda...or circle rather. something like this
http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/jen10.jpg

its drank with ice cold water and is perfect for those blazing hot summer days (well its nearly winter here but it was 30 degrees celcius today so iwas drinking). Basically one person serves water, takes a "hit" (drinks it up), pours water, passes it to the next person (usually clockwise), back to server -> water-> next person, until it gets back to you. when you don't want anymore, after your "hit" you say "gracias" or "obrigado" depending on the country. Its like a social drink here. "Hey what do you wanna do after classes" "Dunno, lets drink tereré". and usually you get around, drink, listen to music, and hangout. Social drink.
dunno why i'm posting this, just thought I'd share the Brasilio/paraguayin culture (i'm like 120 km from the border of paraguay so my state - Mato Grosso do Sul - is one of the few states that has it)
anyway hope you enjoyed this random rant
beijos,
-manny

PS: anyone heard of this shit?

[aces2022]

I never heard of it. I want to "hit" that.

[Pablo]

I've never heard of that drink particularly, but I have had yerba mate before. The way I had it, though, it was in a really small cup filled with mate and hot water, and it was sipped through that straw thing. Yummy.

[Archibaldo]

So it's like a peace pipe right?

[Manny]

I've never heard of that drink particularly, but I have had yerba mate before. The way I had it, though, it was in a really small cup filled with mate and hot water, and it was sipped through that straw thing. Yummy.

yeah, if i have my history right: tereré went to argentina as well, but as argentina is colder they made their own version. its drank out of a cuia (big plant thing), with finer yerba mate and hot water. we get that here too, its called (in portuguese at least): chimarrão. It's good too, but i prefer tereré :p
-manny

[JayeM]

Looks interesting...what does it taste like?

[Manny]

Looks interesting...what does it taste like?
First time i had it i didn't know what to think. thought i'd get blown outta my mind, but i try it and it was a hot day and it was cold and refreshing. most people don't like it their first time. They have different flavors to. The main ones being:
Menta(mint), Limão (lemon), Menta e Limão, Abacaxi(pineapple).
But the best way to have it is with Ice cold water and mint herb, or ice cold water with normal herb with lemon juice mixed in with the collld water. It's really good. Best way to describe it is, well, tastes like refreshing cold tea. I love it anyway.
-manny

[JayeM]

It's a great ritual anyway. We don't have enough rituals in the US.

[Manny]

It's a great ritual anyway. We don't have enough rituals in the US.
too bad eh? but yeah i dig the ritual. I'll try uploading pics of me soon of a tereré circle of me and my friends. wanna show you guys, so i'll try to do it soon. take care.
-manny