Cascara (the spanish word for husk, peal or skin) is a type of tea brewed using the dried skins of the coffee fruit which are collected after the seeds have been pulped during the processing of ripe coffee cherries.
Brewing is simple as with many types of tea. You add boiling water to the dried Cascara, let it steep for 4 minutes and strain and serve. You can use a lose-leaf type tea strainer or a french press or even a Chemex (without the filter) to brew it in.
To brew, simply...
- Add 20g or cascara to the vessel you will be brewing into;
- Add 400g of boiling water making sure everything is submerged;
- Allow to steep for at least 4 minutes, strain and serve.
To experiment with how the tea is consumed in other countries, try adding cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sugar or honey.
Although this is a drink made using the coffee fruit, don't expect a coffee flavour. These are the skins of the fruit, dried and unprocessed, whereas coffee beans are roasted to highlight the desired characteristics of that coffee.
Cascara does, however, contain caffeine as this is a natural occurring substance in the coffee plant but research shows that it contains less caffeine than brewed coffee and about double the caffeine or black tea.
Sources:
Freshcup Magazine: What Is Cascara?
Mokabees.com: Coffee Cherry Tea - Cascara
npr.org: Cascara "Tea" : A Tasty Infusion Made From Coffee Waste