What Is Cascara? A Guide to Coffee Cherry Tea

Cascara is coffee cherry tea: an infusion made from the dried skin and pulp of the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. It offers a way to taste the coffee fruit itself, with a cup that can be fruity, honeyed and gently tart. At Ethi CO, our cascara collection explores Ethiopian coffee cherries through pure, floral and spiced blends.

Before coffee becomes a roasted bean, it begins as a fruit. Cascara invites you to get to know that part of the harvest: brew a cup, notice its fruit character, and explore how flowers or warming spices change the experience.

What is the coffee cherry?

The coffee cherry is the fruit of the coffee plant. Inside it are the seeds we know as coffee beans. Cascara uses the dried outer fruit after the beans have been removed. Steeping that fruit in water makes coffee cherry tea.

Although it is often called tea because of the way it is brewed, cascara comes from the coffee plant. Koti is another infusion from the same plant, made from its leaves. You can explore that different flavor in our Ethiopian coffee leaf tea collection.

What does cascara taste like?

Our pure Hashara has notes of dried fruit and honeyed sweetness, with a lightly tart, smooth finish. It suits drinkers who enjoy fruit infusions and want to explore coffee beyond familiar roasted flavors. Added flowers or spices bring a different character to the cup.

Does coffee cherry tea contain caffeine?

Yes. Cascara naturally contains caffeine. The amount in a prepared cup varies with the ingredient, serving size and brewing method. Ethi CO cascara has not been laboratory tested for an exact caffeine amount, so we do not give a milligram figure or a fixed comparison with brewed coffee.

Research has measured caffeine in cascara beverages and found that preparation can change the amount extracted. A study comparing hot and cold brewing found different caffeine concentrations under its test conditions. Those findings describe the samples studied, rather than an exact value for your Ethi CO cup. Read the brewing study.

Why use more of the coffee cherry?

Turning coffee cherry pulp into a beverage offers another use for material left from coffee production. Researchers have explored cascara as a way to put this part of the harvest to use and potentially reduce waste. For Ethi CO, it is also a way to invite curiosity about Ethiopian ingredients and the plant behind a familiar daily ritual. Read the coffee cherry pulp study.

How to brew cascara

For Hashara — Pure Ethiopian Cascara, follow these steps:

Place one bag (4 g) in a cup.
Add 8–10 fluid ounces of hot water.
Steep for 5–7 minutes, then remove the bag.
Taste before adding anything. For a stronger cup, try a longer steep next time.

Enjoy warm, or chill the brewed infusion and serve over ice. Follow the directions on your chosen product when preparing other blends, as ingredients and serving sizes can differ.

For blend-specific steeping times and iced tea tips, read How to Brew Cascara Coffee Cherry Tea: Hot & Iced.