As a trending eco-friendly caffeinated beverage, cascara tea is arriving in local coffee shops and tea houses in waves.
What is this tea, and why is it so popular? Here’s why cascara is a global game-changer.
Cascara Tea: The Beverage Revolution
In Spanish, the word “cascara” translates to “shell” or “skin”. In this case, cascara is the skin of coffee cherries. That’s right, prior to being turned into our beloved beans, coffee is actually a cherry-like fruit.
When coffee beans are produced, the skin is removed from the seed and typically discarded – the seeds are then roasted and packaged to be used in your cup of joe.
What of the discarded coffee cherry skin? For some time it remained unused. That all changed when coffee makers decided to try this coffee fruit in a separate drink.
As it turns out, those coffee cherries make excellent tasting fruity tea. It also has a lighter amount of caffeine than its core coffee bean, so you can feel energized by it without experiencing that same buzz and crash that you would get from a typical cup of coffee.
How to Make It
Just like using loose tea leaves or coffee, there are many ways to go about preparing cascara tea. Can you make this tea in a french press? Yes! In fact, using cascara in a french press may be the easiest route to go.
If you’re feeling more adventurous (or have some barista skills you’re ready to show off) there are also the more complex recipes to try when making this tasty beverage. Some of the more commonly followed recipes include cascara lattes and cold brew cascara, though others have successfully made cascara soda and cascara liqueur.
Interested in trying these recipes? Making cascara recipes at home allows you to experiment with different cascara drink styles and lets you decide how strong you want your batch to be.
Why Drink It?
If you’re looking to reduce your environmental footprint, cascara tea is your go-to drink. Since the skin of coffee cherries is frequently thrown away, drinking cascara tea curbs the amount of landfill waste. According to BeverageDaily, using cascara helps redirect the 46 billion pounds of coffee cherries produced each year while increasing profits for coffee growing communities.
In addition to helping coffee farmers and the planet, you can also improve your health by drinking cascara tea. Cascara contains more fiber, protein, and polyphenols than cherries, blueberries, and even the infamous acai berry. With all of the cascara tea health benefits, drinking this tea is a great way to ensure all of your internal gears are functioning at their best.
Join the Enthusiasts
With all of the amazing benefits of drinking cascara tea, it’s no wonder why it’s on everyone’s shelves and wishlists. You won’t need to leave home to see what all the rage is about (in fact, you’ll also be saving a ton of money by avoiding the cafes).
You can enjoy the benefits of cascara tea at home while you make a difference in the global community. With all of these perks, we can make a toast to (and with) the amazing cascara tea.
