Cascara — Coffee Cherry Tea
One of 40 entries · Provenance 500 Drinks — Coffee
Cascara's beverage use dates to ancient Yemen (qishr: coffee husk with ginger and spices) and Ethiopia (bun: roasted coffee husks as a beverage), where coffee cherry husks were valued before the beans were discovered to be the primary product. Cascara remained a niche Yemeni and Bolivian (where it's called sultana) tradition until the specialty coffee movement's interest in zero-waste practices elevated it globally in the 2010s. Starbucks Reserve's cascara latte (2017) was a pivotal mainstream introduction.
Cascara (from the Spanish cáscara: husk or shell) is a tea-like beverage brewed from the dried outer skin and pulp of coffee cherries — the fruit that is typically discarded as waste during coffee's wet-processing stage. Deeply embedded in Yemeni qishr and Ethiopian bun (coffee cherry) traditions, cascara produces a bright, sweet, hibiscus-and-tamarind flavoured infusion with a lighter caffeine content than brewed coffee (typically 111mg per 12oz versus 180mg for drip coffee). It tastes nothing like coffee — closer to hibiscus tea, rosehip, or a sweet-tart fruit punch — making it a gateway beverage for non-coffee drinkers and an extraordinary aperitif or mocktail ingredient. Starbucks Reserve introduced cascara lattes globally in 2017, dramatically expanding its reach. The Environmental movement's embrace of cascara as a zero-waste coffee byproduct has fuelled its rise in sustainability-focused cafés.
- Cascara occupies the same category as hibiscus agua fresca, rosehip tea, and tamarind agua — tart, fruity, naturally sweet beverages from plant waste products. It parallels the culinary movement to use corn husks for tamales and citrus peels for cocktail garnishes — a zero-waste philosophy that finds value in what was once discarded.
FOOD PAIRING: Cascara's hibiscus-tamarind fruitiness pairs with Middle Eastern and North African flavours: rose-water baklava, pomegranate molasses salad, and dried fruit and nut platters. As a cold brew shrub, it pairs with spicy foods (Thai papaya salad, Mexican ceviche) where its bright acidity and sweetness balance heat. From the Provenance 1000, pair with chia pudding with tropical fruit, hibiscus-poached pears, or a cheese plate with honey and dried fruit.
Brew cascara as a hot or cold infusion, not espresso extraction — high pressure destroys its delicate fruit compounds; steep at 70–80°C (not boiling) for 4 minutes for optimal extraction The typical ratio is 15–20g cascara per 300ml water — overbrewing produces a tannic, astringent result; the correct brew should be sweet-tart and light Cold brew cascara (24-hour cold steep at 1:12 ratio) produces a superior fruit-punch concentrate ideal for cocktails and mocktails Source cascara from specialty coffee importers who document provenance — much commercial cascara is improperly dried, producing mouldy or fermented off-flavours Add citrus (lemon or lime juice) to finished cascara to brighten and amplify the hibiscus-like acidity that defines a great cup Cascara simple syrup (cascara steeped at 2:1 sugar ratio) is the most versatile service application — usable in cocktails, espresso drinks, and non-alcoholic sodas
Brewing cascara at boiling temperature (100°C), which destroys volatile aromatic compounds and produces a flat, tannic infusion instead of the vibrant fruit-forward result Purchasing undocumented commercial cascara without origin information — quality cascara from specific farms in Yemen, Ethiopia, or Bolivia is dramatically superior to commodity cascara Conflating cascara with coffee — it is a completely different beverage with different caffeine levels, flavour profile, and service applications
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visual: Bright, sweet, hibiscus-and-tamarind aroma releases at 70–80°C steep; boiling flattens it to tannic astringency.
Brew at 70–80°C for 4 minutes — boiling destroys volatile aromatics and produces flat, tannic infusion instead of vibrant fruit-forward result.
- Cascara (dried coffee cherry husks):
- 8-10g dried cascara husks per 200ml water
- Water temperature: 75-80°C (not boiling — like green tea)
4 ingredients · 13 steps
Common Questions
Why does Cascara — Coffee Cherry Tea taste the way it does?
FOOD PAIRING: Cascara's hibiscus-tamarind fruitiness pairs with Middle Eastern and North African flavours: rose-water baklava, pomegranate molasses salad, and dried fruit and nut platters. As a cold brew shrub, it pairs with spicy foods (Thai papaya salad, Mexican ceviche) where its bright acidity and sweetness balance heat. From the Provenance 1000, pair with chia pudding with tropical fruit, hibiscus-poached pears, or a cheese plate with honey and dried fruit.
What are common mistakes when making Cascara — Coffee Cherry Tea?
Brewing cascara at boiling temperature (100°C), which destroys volatile aromatic compounds and produces a flat, tannic infusion instead of the vibrant fruit-forward result Purchasing undocumented commercial cascara without origin information — quality cascara from specific farms in Yemen, Ethiopia, or Bolivia is dramatically superior to commodity cascara Conflating cascara with coffee — it is a completely different beverage with different caffeine levels, flavour profile, and service applications
What dishes are similar to Cascara — Coffee Cherry Tea?
Cascara occupies the same category as hibiscus agua fresca, rosehip tea, and tamarind agua — tart, fruity, naturally sweet beverages from plant waste products. It parallels the culinary movement to use corn husks for tamales and citrus peels for cocktail garnishes — a zero-waste philosophy that finds value in what was once discarded.