Cascara: more than a coffee by-product
The stages coffee beans go through are familiar to almost every enthusiast: cultivation, harvesting, processing and finally packaging and shipping to the farthest corners of the globe. One part of this process deserves particular attention: dried coffee fruit, separated from the main product — the bean — is now enjoying a second life. What surprises does this apparently useless part of coffee, cascara, have in store?
What is cascara?
The Spanish word cáscara means skin or husk. In a coffee context, it refers to the outer layer surrounding the coffee bean. As it turns out, this unassuming and seemingly worthless skin can be full of surprises!
It is not only useful as compost on a farm: it can also make a fascinating infusion, served either hot or cold. Because of its taste, the appearance of the dried ingredients and the way it is prepared, it is called coffee cherry tea.
What does a cascara drink taste like?
What should you expect from a cup of cascara? Above all, gentle acidity and a strongly fruity aftertaste recalling plums, cherries, apples, currants, honey or elderberry. Its distinctive taste makes it difficult to confuse with another drink. It contains small amounts of caffeine, appealing to people looking for a mild, gentle stimulant.
Although the raw material for coffee cherry tea is closely related to coffee, the drink tastes very different from one made with coffee beans. Cascara is more often compared to fruit tea, yet it is not quite that either. How can we sensibly classify it? We suggest thinking of it as a compromise between tea and coffee.
What properties are associated with cascara?
A principal benefit associated with cascara infusion is its high antioxidant content, linked to positive effects on the body as a whole. Antioxidants counteract the harmful effects of free radicals and remove their excess, helping to prevent various illnesses, including lifestyle-related diseases. The relatively low caffeine content mentioned earlier is another important feature, attracting people seeking a healthy alternative to coffee. Other health-related properties attributed to cascara tea include cleansing and digestive support, as well as support for the healing of damaged stomach or intestinal lining.
How do you brew cascara?
Let us begin with hot cascara tea:
- Measure 2–3 teaspoons of cascara into a tea strainer, infuser teapot, French press or similar vessel.
- Pour filtered water at around 95°C into your mug or brewer.
- Leave to infuse for around five minutes.
- Separate the cascara from the drink.
- Enjoy your cascara tea.
Now for cold coffee cherry tea:
- Measure around 3–5 teaspoons of cascara into a tea strainer or another infuser.
- Pour approximately 300–400 ml of cold water into the vessel.
- Cover tightly and leave in the refrigerator overnight to make a refreshing cascara tea.
- Remove the cascara from the finished infusion.
- Enjoy your cold coffee cherry tea.
More about cascara
Although cascara infusion is not yet as popular in Europe or America as other coffees, teas and herbal infusions, it has a tradition of consumption in places such as Ethiopia, Yemen and Bolivia. In these regions, spices such as cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg are added, making a warming drink that is ideal for colder days.
Interestingly, coffee cherry tea may have been consumed there even before the discovery of real coffee — the drink made from beans that is now enjoyed around the world. Fascinating, isn't it?
Read also: Tibetan tea: salty rather than sweet