Cascara Tea

Cascara, a Spanish word meaning “husk” or “peel,” refers to the dried outer skin and pulp of the coffee fruit that surrounds the coffee bean. While most people are familiar with roasted coffee beans, cascara is made from the fruit part that is often removed and discarded during coffee processing. In Ethiopia, it is locally known as Hashara (around Harar) and has been traditionally brewed as a tea-like beverage for centuries in coffee-growing regions such as Harar and Sidama. Prepared by drying the coffee fruit husks in the sun and steeping them in hot water, cascara produces a mildly sweet, fruity taste. Containing less caffeine than coffee—about 25 mg per cup compared to 80–120 mg in brewed coffee—it offers a gentle energy boost. Rich in antioxidants, low in calories, and environmentally friendly, cascara helps reduce waste by utilizing a by-product of coffee production. In Ethiopia, it has long been enjoyed as a warming and energizing drink, often boiled with milk, ginger, cinnamon, or other spices and sweetened with honey, embodying the nation’s deep-rooted tradition of valuing every part of the coffee plant.