Paraguayan Coffee and Tea Secrets

I’ve always had a fascination of foreign culture – customs, language, lifestyle, food and drink. Many years ago I had the opportunity to spend an entire summer in Paraguay, a remarkably beautiful and culturally rich country. I stayed with a large, hospitable family eager to show me their country and share their culture. I returned home with lots of memories, photographs, music and books, artifacts, and red clay permanently stained into my shoes and clothing. I also returned home with two faciles and deliciosos hot drink recipes…

Cafe Batido is a coffee drink made from instant coffee (I like Nescafe Clasico) and sugar, and it shares a similar robustness and flavor with cappuccino. Pour equal parts (e.g. 1 tablespoon) instant coffee and sugar into a cup. Add just a few drops of water or milk. It is very important not to add too much liquid! Rigorously stir for a few minutes until the mixture becomes a light-colored paste. Add hot water or milk, and foam will form at the top.

Mate Cocido is a tea drink prepared with yerba mate and sugar. (Yerba Mate is made from the leaves and twigs of a holly plant native to subtropical South America. You are most likely to find this at your local Latin American grocery store). Put the two together in a pan, and wait for the sugar to melt and burn a little bit. The yerba mate and burnt sugar together create a delicious aroma. Pour in hot water and allow it to steep for a minute or two. Drain the tea and enjoy!

On a side note, I am unable to identify a word in English that means food and drink together. For example, the word “utensils” groups forks, knives and spoons together. If you can think of a single word for food + drink, please let me know!