What is Cascara? (Coffee Cherry Tea)

Cascara is a tea-like drink made from the dried skin and pulp of the coffee cherry, the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. It is steeped like tea rather than brewed like coffee, tastes fruity rather than roasted, and still contains caffeine. In the European Union it is sold as “cascara (coffee cherry pulp)”, and a typical preparation uses up to 6 g of dried pulp per 100 ml of hot water.

This guide covers what cascara is made from, where the drink comes from, how its caffeine compares with coffee and tea, how to steep it hot or cold, and the one name mix-up that matters for safety.

What Exactly Is Cascara?

The word comes from the Spanish cáscara, meaning “husk”. Coffee cherries are picked ripe, and the beans are removed mechanically either before or after drying. What remains is the dried cherry pulp, which can be sold in pieces or milled to a powder. The European Commission’s definition describes the product as dried, unroasted coffee cherry pulp from Coffea arabica and/or Coffea canephora, and its infusion.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) described one cascara product in more detail: the dried husk includes the skin, the pulp, the mucilage, the parchment and a portion of the silver skin of the coffee fruit, and it consists mainly of carbohydrates, dietary fibre and water.

Cascara is not coffee, because it is made from the fruit around the bean rather than from roasted beans, and it is not tea in the botanical sense, because it does not come from the tea plant. Wikipedia files it under herbal teas.

Where the Drink Comes From

Drinks made from coffee husks are traditional in Yemen and Ethiopia, where similar infusions are known as qishr and hashara. Yemeni qishr is made from coffee husks spiced with ginger and sometimes cinnamon, and in Yemen it is usually drunk as an alternative to coffee because the husks do not need roasting. One account holds that a husk drink was consumed in Yemen before coffee as it is drunk today.

The EU authorisation records a history of safe food use for dried cherry pulp and its infusion in Yemen, Ethiopia and Bolivia.

The modern specialty version has a separate origin. Around 2005, the Salvadoran coffee farmer Aida Batlle noticed that the cherry husks discarded during milling had a floral aroma and began brewing tea from them. By 2009 the drink was on the menu in some US coffee shops, and other growers started selling dried pulp and skins as tea.

What Does Cascara Taste Like?

Cascara is described as fruity and floral. The dried fruit itself is compared with other dried fruits such as apricots, cranberries and raisins. None of the roasted, bitter notes of brewed coffee come through, because the pulp is never roasted.

Flavour varies from one bag to the next. The species of coffee, the farm and the way the cherries were processed and dried all change the raw material, so treat any tasting notes on a package as a description of that lot rather than of cascara in general.

Caffeine Content in Cascara

Cascara is neither caffeine-free nor a substitute for a strong coffee in every cup. How much caffeine ends up in a mug depends on how much pulp you use, how long you steep it and the caffeine content of that particular product. The published figures give a range rather than one number:

Source	What it says about caffeine
Wikipedia, coffee cherry tea	Caffeine levels in cascara are similar to those found in black teas.
EFSA safety opinion (2022)	For the product it assessed, an infusion could contain up to 600 mg of caffeine per litre in the worst case, which EFSA calls comparable to coffee beverages. That ceiling assumes all of the caffeine in the specified product transfers to the drink.
EU labelling rule	A cascara product with more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre must carry the warning “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”.

EFSA also noted that drinks made from that product would add significantly to the general population’s total caffeine intake. In practice, check the label for a caffeine figure, and count a strong cup of cascara toward your daily caffeine rather than treating it as a herbal tea.

How to Brew Cascara at Home

Cascara is steeped, not percolated. Both recipes below follow published proportions; if your package gives its own instructions, use those first, because EU rules require sellers of cascara for infusion to tell buyers how to prepare it.

What You’ll Need

• Dried cascara, in flakes or larger pieces
• A kitchen scale or measuring spoon
• Hot water, or cold water for the slow method
• A teapot, a French press or a mug with an infuser
• A strainer and a timer

Hot Steep

1. Measure the cascara. Wikipedia’s typical proportion is three tablespoons of dried flaked cascara for 300–350 ml (10–12 oz) of water. The EU definition sets a ceiling for typical infusions of up to 6 g per 100 ml.
2. Heat the water. The EU description uses hot water above 75°C.
3. Steep. Wikipedia gives four minutes for hot water; the EU text says “a few minutes”.
4. Strain and serve. Pour through a strainer, then taste before adding sweetener or spices.

If the first cup is too light, add more cascara next time rather than steeping much longer, so you can repeat the result. Write down the weight and steep time that you like.

Cold Steep

1. Combine cascara and cold water in the same proportion as the hot method: about three tablespoons of flakes for 300–350 ml.
2. Steep for 12 to 16 hours, the cold-water range Wikipedia gives. Cover the jar; steeping it in the refrigerator keeps the water cold for the whole time.
3. Strain through a fine mesh or a paper filter.
4. Serve over ice, or top with sparkling water.

Cascara is also sold ready to drink: iced, carbonated, bottled, and in syrups and concentrated extracts. Those products have their own serving sizes and caffeine figures, so read their labels rather than applying the home recipe.

Spiced Cascara in the Qishr Style

The traditional Yemeni drink adds ginger and sometimes cinnamon to the husks. To try a version at home, steep the cascara with a few slices of fresh ginger or a pinch of ground ginger, and add a small piece of cinnamon stick if you like. Strain before serving. This is a home adaptation of the flavour combination, not a traditional recipe with fixed quantities.

Health Claims: What the Evidence Covers

Coffee fruit is rich in polyphenols, and cascara is often marketed with health language. The evidence is thinner than that marketing suggests. A study cited on Wikipedia found that extracts derived from coffee fruit increased BDNF, a protein involved in brain function, in healthy subjects. That was a small study of 25 people, it used concentrated coffee-fruit extracts rather than a cup of brewed cascara, and its authors noted that larger clinical studies are needed.

What is established is narrower. EFSA concluded in 2022 that the dried coffee husk it assessed is safe under its proposed conditions of use, and the EU authorised dried coffee cherry pulp and its infusion as a traditional food the same year. Neither is a health claim. Cascara is a caffeinated drink, so people who limit caffeine for medical reasons should treat it the same way they treat coffee or tea. This article is not medical advice.

Where to Buy Cascara

Cascara is sold by some specialty coffee roasters and tea retailers, often listed under “cascara”, “coffee cherry tea” or “coffee cherry pulp”. When comparing bags, look for:

• The origin and coffee species, so you know what you are buying.
• A caffeine statement, where the seller provides one.
• Preparation instructions, which EU rules require for cascara sold for infusion.
• A clear product name. Coffee cherry tea should not be confused with cascara sagrada, described below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cascara the same as cascara sagrada?

No. Cascara sagrada is the bark of a different plant, Frangula purshiana, which was used as a laxative and was the main ingredient in commercial over-the-counter laxatives in North America until the US Food and Drug Administration banned it as a laxative ingredient in 2002. Its side effects can include dehydration, electrolyte loss and heart rhythm irregularities. Coffee cherry tea comes from the coffee plant and is a separate product. Before buying, check that the label says coffee cherry or coffee cherry pulp.

Can I drink cascara if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?

Cascara contains caffeine. Under EU rules, a cascara product with more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre must be labelled as not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women. Check the product label and ask your doctor or midwife how it fits into your overall caffeine intake.

Does cascara taste like coffee?

No. It comes from the same plant, but the pulp is not roasted, and the drink is described as fruity and floral rather than roasted and bitter.

Is cascara legal in the EU?

Yes. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/47, adopted on 13 January 2022, added dried coffee cherry pulp and its infusion to the EU list of authorised novel foods as a traditional food from a third country. Products must be labelled with a name such as “cascara (coffee cherry pulp)”, and the high-caffeine warning applies above 150 mg per litre.

Is Cascara Worth Trying?

If you like fruit or herbal teas and are comfortable with some caffeine, cascara is a different way to drink the coffee plant. Start with the hot steep at three tablespoons per 300–350 ml for four minutes, try a cold steep once you know the flavour, and check the label on each new bag for its caffeine content and preparation instructions.