Coffee cherry tea facts for kids
Coffee cherry tea is a special kind of herbal tea. It's made from the dried outer part of the coffee fruit. This fruit is often called a "cherry." After the coffee beans are taken out, the leftover skins and dried fruit are used to make this tea.
This tea is also known as cascara. That's a Spanish word meaning "husk" or "skin." It's important not to confuse it with "cáscara sagrada." That's a different plant used for medicine, found in the Pacific Northwest.
Coffee cherry tea is a popular drink in some countries where coffee grows. For example, people drink it in Bolivia. It's also common in Yemen, where it's called qishr, and in Somalia, where it's known as bun. Outside these places, the coffee fruit was often thrown away. But now, more people want cascara. Sometimes, the dried husks even sell for more than the coffee beans!
In Bolivia, this tea is called sultana. It's made from coffee cherries that are dried in the sun and lightly roasted. Sometimes, people add cinnamon sticks to it. Some people call it "the poor man's coffee" or "the coffee of the Army." It's believed that cascara tea was enjoyed in Yemen even before the coffee drink we know today became popular.
Coffee cherries have caffeine, and so does the tea. Many people think the tea has a lot of caffeine. But it actually has only about a quarter (one-fourth) of the caffeine found in regular coffee. Cascara is also known to have many antioxidants. These are good for your body. The taste of coffee cherry tea is quite different from coffee. People often say it tastes a bit sweet and like cherries, which is a pleasant surprise!
Contents
How to Make Coffee Cherry Tea
Making coffee cherry tea is quite simple. There aren't exact rules for brewing it, but here are some helpful tips.
Brewing Guidelines
A good amount to use is about 20 grams of dried cascara for every liter of water. That's about 5 grams for one cup (which is about 8 ounces or 240 milliliters). If the cascara is ground into smaller pieces, like loose tea, you can use one teaspoon for every 6 ounces of water.
Steeping Time
Once you add the hot water, let the tea steep. This means letting it sit in the hot water so the flavors can come out. A good steeping time is usually between 4 and 8 minutes. When it's brewed correctly, the tea will have a lovely dark red color.
Where to Find Coffee Cherry Tea
You might have seen cascara-based drinks at popular coffee shops.
Popular Drinks
Starbucks Coffee and Blue Bottle Coffee have offered drinks made with cascara. Starbucks had a "cascara latte," and Blue Bottle Coffee featured a "cascara fizz." In October 2019, a company called Dashfire Bitters made a ready-to-drink Manhattan cocktail using fig and cascara.
Other Products
Also, all drinks from Bai Brands contain a small amount of coffee fruit extract. This shows that the coffee fruit is becoming more popular in different kinds of drinks!
