What is cascara? Coffee cherry tea explained

Cascara, also called coffee cherry tea, is an herbal tea brewed from the dried skin of the coffee fruit. It tastes fruity and naturally sweet, with about 25mg of caffeine per cup, roughly a quarter of coffee and close to green tea.

Every coffee bean grows inside a small red fruit called the coffee cherry. Roasters keep the seed, the bean, and most of the world throws the fruit away. Cascara is that fruit, dried and steeped into a tea. The name comes from the Spanish word for husk or skin.

What does cascara taste like?

Nothing like coffee. It is fruity and naturally sweet, with notes of cherry, raisin, and hibiscus and a little tartness at the edge. There is no roast, so there is no bitterness, and no sugar is added.

How much caffeine is in cascara?

About 25mg per cup, roughly a quarter of a cup of coffee and close to green tea. Gentle enough to drink in the afternoon.

How to brew cascara

Hot. Steep about a tablespoon of loose leaf, or one sachet, in water just off the boil (around 200F) for 4 to 5 minutes, then strain.

Iced. Brew it hot and strong, then pour over ice.

Cold brew. Steep loose leaf in cold water in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. This is the sweetest way to drink it.

Is cascara the same as cascara sagrada?

No. Coffee cherry cascara is the dried fruit of the coffee plant. Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) is an unrelated plant bark sold as a laxative. They share the name cascara but are completely different.

Want to try it? Shop cascara coffee cherry tea, or read what cascara tastes like and how much caffeine it has.