What Is a Guampa?
The cup of tereré — the cold-brewed mate of Paraguay and northern Argentina. What a guampa is, how it differs from a hot-mate gourd, and how to care for one.
By The Yerba Mate Reviews Desk · 7 min · Updated 2026-06-14
A guampa is the cup used to drink tereré — cold-brewed yerba mate — traditionally made from a hollowed cattle horn, though modern guampas are also carved from wood or molded from food-grade silicone. It's the cold-weather cousin of the hot-mate gourd: wider, taller, and built to hold ice-cold water rather than hot.
Tereré is the iced version of mate, the drink of choice in Paraguay and the hot subtropical north of Argentina and Brazil, where a cold infusion beats a scalding one. The guampa is to tereré what the calabash gourd is to hot mate — same idea, different vessel, suited to cold water and a bigger pour.
Here's what a guampa is, how it differs from a regular mate gourd, and how to use and care for one.
The short version
- A guampa is the cup used to drink tereré (cold-brewed yerba mate), traditionally a hollowed cattle horn.
- Modern guampas are also made of wood or food-grade silicone; the horn version is the classic.
- It's wider and taller than a hot-mate gourd because tereré is poured cold and in bigger volumes.
- Tereré is the iced mate of Paraguay and northern Argentina — a guampa is to tereré what a calabash gourd is to hot mate.
- You still drink through a bombilla; some tereré bombillas are flatter or wider to handle the cold pour.
- A horn or wood guampa should be cured before first use and hand-cared for; silicone needs none of that.
What a guampa is
A guampa is the drinking vessel for tereré, the cold-brewed form of yerba mate. The classic guampa is a hollowed and polished section of cattle horn, which is naturally cup-shaped, durable, and keeps cold water cold. You'll also find guampas carved from wood or, increasingly, molded from food-grade silicone for the dishwasher-safe crowd.
Like a hot-mate gourd, you pack it with yerba and drink through a bombilla — but the water you pour in is ice-cold (often with juice or herbs), not hot. The word 'guampa' itself comes from a Guaraní term for horn, a nod to its traditional material.
Guampa vs a hot-mate gourd: what's different
A guampa and a traditional mate gourd do the same job, hold yerba and let you sip through a bombilla, but they're tuned for opposite temperatures.
Size and shape. A guampa is generally wider and taller than a hot-mate gourd. Tereré is drunk cold and refilled with bigger pours from a pitcher of icy water, so the vessel holds more.
Material and temperature. A hot-mate gourd, classically a calabash, and the picks in our gourd guide, is shaped for hot water and a slow, sipped session. A guampa (horn, wood, or silicone) is built for cold water and ice; horn in particular stays cold and doesn't transfer heat.
The bombilla. You still drink through a bombilla in both, but some tereré bombillas are flatter or have a wider, fan-shaped filter to handle the cold, often coarser pour.
How a guampa is used (and cured)
Using a guampa mirrors the hot-mate ritual, swapped to cold. You fill it about halfway to two-thirds with yerba, tilt to bank the leaf, insert the bombilla into the low spot, and pour ice-cold water — frequently mixed with citrus juice, mint, or other herbs (yuyos) — from a chilled pitcher called a jarra or termo. You refill it cold, many times, as you would a hot gourd.
Curing. A natural horn or wood guampa should be cured before its first use, much like a calabash gourd: pack it with spent (already-brewed) yerba and water, let it sit, scrape the inside, and dry it thoroughly. This seasons the vessel and removes any raw taste. A silicone guampa needs no curing and is typically dishwasher-safe — the low-maintenance modern option.
Key terms
- Guampa
- The cup used to drink tereré (cold mate), traditionally a hollowed cattle horn, also made of wood or food-grade silicone. Wider and taller than a hot-mate gourd.
- Tereré
- The cold-brewed form of yerba mate, drunk with ice-cold water (often with juice or herbs). The signature summer drink of Paraguay and northern Argentina.
- Mate gourd
- The vessel for HOT mate, classically a cured calabash but also wood, glass, or stainless. The hot-water counterpart to the guampa.
- Bombilla
- The filtered metal straw used to drink mate or tereré; tereré bombillas are sometimes flatter or wider to handle the cold, coarse pour.
- Yuyos
- Herbs (mint, lemongrass, and others) crushed and added to tereré water for flavor and aroma — a hallmark of Paraguayan-style cold mate.
- Jarra / termo
- The chilled pitcher or thermos of ice-cold water (often with juice or yuyos) you pour into the guampa to brew tereré.
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Questions, answered
What is a guampa?
A guampa is the cup used to drink tereré, the cold-brewed form of yerba mate. It's traditionally a hollowed cattle horn, though modern guampas are also made of wood or food-grade silicone. It's wider and taller than a hot-mate gourd because tereré is poured cold and in larger volumes, and you drink from it through a bombilla just like hot mate.
What's the difference between a guampa and a mate gourd?
A mate gourd is for HOT mate — classically a cured calabash, shaped for hot water and a slow sipped session. A guampa is for COLD tereré — usually a horn, wood, or silicone vessel that's wider and taller, built to hold ice-cold water and bigger pours. Both use a bombilla, but they're tuned for opposite temperatures.
What is a guampa made of?
The traditional guampa is a hollowed, polished section of cattle horn, which is naturally cup-shaped and keeps cold water cold. Guampas are also carved from wood or molded from food-grade silicone. Horn and wood guampas should be cured before first use and hand-cared for; silicone needs no curing and is usually dishwasher-safe.
Do you cure a guampa like a gourd?
A natural horn or wood guampa, yes — cure it before first use much like a calabash gourd: pack it with spent yerba and water, let it sit, scrape the inside, and dry it thoroughly, repeating once or twice. A silicone guampa needs no curing at all and can typically go in the dishwasher.
Can you drink hot mate from a guampa?
A guampa is designed for cold tereré, not hot mate. A horn guampa in particular is built to keep cold water cold and isn't intended for hot water. For hot mate, use a proper gourd — a cured calabash or a stainless steel one. Use the guampa for the iced, summer-style drink it was made for.
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