The other half..

..of coffee.

Did you know that the coffee beans you drink are grown in the cherry produced by a coffee plant, and that they make up only around 20% of the weight of the coffee cherries picked by farmers each (extensive) harvest?

This leftover pulp is called “cascara,” which is Spanish for “husk” or “shell.” It is now finally legal in the EU for human consumption in an RTD (ready to drink) beverage. Cascara is being used for many purposes such as making tea, kombucha, craft beer…. the list goes on. Its potential as a high-antioxidant superfood is only just really starting to be understood.

Learn more

Buy cascara.

 

Click on the taste notes to view the cupping report.

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Colombia Argote - washed cascaraplum, prune, dried fig2023
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Ethiopia Galeh - washed cascaraprune, jasmine honeysuckle, green tea2023

See our shipping page for rates and lead times.

When cascara gets imported, it’s usually placed in the same jute bags as green coffee beans lined with grainpro, meaning between 10 and 15 kg gets packed into one bag. For quantities 500g and larger, we re-use these grainpro bags to package your cascara.

Quality checks are performed on all cascara that we sell using top of the line equipment, both for moisture levels and water activity standards according to EU regulations for human consumption as an RTD beverage.

A guide to cascara (Google Doc produced by This Side Up)

Meet your producers.

Colombia Argote

Ethiopia Galeh

Basic Cascara Tea:

 

  1. In a teapot or infuser, add 35-50 grams of cascara.
  2. Pour 250 ml of hot water over the cascara.
  3. Steep for about 5-7 minutes. You can keep steeping for longer to get a stronger brew, up until 12 minutes or so.
  4. Drain the tea and discard the pulp.
  5. Sweeten with honey or sugar to taste if desired.
  6. Play around with the ratio of water to cascara to your liking!

Cascara Cold Brew:

 

  1. In a jar or pitcher, combine 50-60 grams of dried cascara with 500 ml of cold water.
  2. Stir well and refrigerate for 24 hours.
  3. Strain the mixture to remove the cascara.
  4. Serve the cold brew over ice cubes if desired.
  5. Add sweetener to taste if you prefer a sweeter beverage.
  6. Garnish with a slice of citrus for extra flavor.

Cascara Lemonade:

 

  1. Steep 35-50 grams of cascara in 250 ml of hot water for 5-7 minutes. You can keep steeping for longer to get a stronger brew, up until 12 minutes or so.
  2. Strain the cascara tea into a glass. Put it in the fridge and allow it to cool down.
  3. Add 30 ml of honey and stir until dissolved.
  4. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the tea.
  5. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
  6. Stir well and enjoy a refreshing cascara lemonade.

    Cascara Sparkling Iced Tea:

     

    1. Steep 35-50 grams of cascara in 250 ml of hot water for 5-7 minutes. You can keep steeping for longer to get a stronger brew, until 12 minutes or so.
    2. Strain the cascara tea into a glass. Put it in the fridge and allow it to cool down.
    3. Fill a glass with ice cubes.
    4. Pour the cold cascara tea over the ice.
    5. Top with sparkling water.
    6. Sweeten to taste if desired.
    7. Stir gently and enjoy the effervescence of cascara sparkling iced tea.