Cascara, what is it?
Did you know that coffee beans are actually the seed of a cherry-like fruit?
It’s true. The toasted brown beans you grind and brew are the pair of seeds found at the centre of a coffee cherry. Similar to the summertime cherries you know and love, coffee cherries have a sweet and often red skin. If only the seeds are harvested to be ground in your kitchen, what happens to the actual fruit?
Well, usually one of three things can happen.
In some cases the skins are simply discarded.
In others they are repurposed as compost to fertilize more coffee plants.
And at farms with a little more infrastructure than the rest, the skin of the coffee cherry is dehydrated to be dried and exported by the name cascara.
Spanish word with ancient roots
Meaning "husk" or "skin" in Spanish, cascara is the dried peel of the coffee cherry. Similar to the common cherry, it's sweet and tangy and full of sugars. Coffee lovers in Ethiopia have been enjoying cascara for centuries by the name Qishr. It’s a relatively new import to the western world but growing in popularity over the last few years.
If you happen to track some down from your favourite local roaster, brewing it is simple. Simply steep it for a few minutes in boiling water at a 1:20 ratio, strain and serve! You can expect to taste a beverage unlike just about anything else you've ever had. It doesn't taste like coffee, it looks like tea, and it isn't inherently either.
What is it then? It's delicious, I know that much.
Although it comes from the coffea arabica plant, it doesn’t remind you much of it. In the cup I often get reminded of fresh roses, fuzzy peach candies, and sweet black tea. Served and enjoyed either hot or cold, cascara belongs in a category unto itself which I think is amazing.
Here’s how I brew it
(1:20 ratio)
15g cascara
300g water
put 15g of dry cascara into a glass server (this one’s my favourite!)
pour 300g of 210º water into server
steep for 4:00 minutes, agitating with a swirl or stir throughout the brew
strain through a metal strainer and serve!
Bonus tips!
if you want it a little stronger, simply steep it for a little longer!
you don’t have to strain it if you don’t want to, you can enjoy it like a loose leaf tea and leave the remains in the bottom of the cup
speaking of tea, you can brew this in a tea pot with a metal strainer the same way you’d brew your favourite loose leaf tea
Have you ever had cascara before? Let me know what you thought about it!
