Coffee cherry tea is an herbal tea made from the dried skins and/or pulp of the fruit of the coffee plant that remain after the coffee beans have been collected from within. It is also known as cascara, from the Spanish cáscara , meaning "husk". It is similar to a traditional beverage in Yemen and Ethiopia. Starting about 2005 it was independently developed and promoted for export by Salvadoran coffee farmer Aida Batlle. The dried whole fruits are also eaten like raisins.
It is different from cáscara sagrada tea, a powerful plant-based laxative derived from Rhamnus purshiana , which is native to the Pacific Northwest.
Hashara and qishr are similar drinks traditional in Ethiopia and Yemen. [1] It is believed that cáscara tea was consumed in Yemen even before the form of coffee we know today. [2] [3] Outside of these traditional uses, in most coffee-producing countries the coffee fruit is usually considered a wasted byproduct of the coffee-production process. [1]
Independently of this traditional beverage, Salvadoran coffee farmer Aida Batlle developed a secondary market for coffee cherry skins, which are dried to create a tea she called cascara. [4] [5] Around 2005 she noticed the coffee cherry husks, which are commonly discarded in the milling process, had a floral aroma, and she decided to try brewing tea from them. [1] Cascara in Spanish means skin or peel of fruit. [1] By 2009 it was being offered as a beverage in US coffee shops. [5] Other growers also began selling their coffee cherry pulp and skins as teas. [1]
Increasing demand for cáscara from large U.S.-based coffee chains has, in some cases, led to the dried husks fetching higher prices than the coffee beans. [6]
The husks can be dried and flaked like ground tea or dried into raisinlike pieces, both of which are prepared by steeping in hot water for a short period or cold water for a lengthy period. [1] The resulting beverage is served hot, iced, carbonated, and bottled by various producers, including as a beer. [1] Typical proportions call for steeping three tablespoons of dried flaked cascara in 10 to 12 ounces (300 to 350 mL) of hot water for four minutes or cold water for 12 to 16 hours. [1]
A study published in the Cambridge University Press showed evidence that extracts derived from coffee fruit increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in healthy subjects, likely due to its high polyphenol content, though this was a small study involving 25 subjects and the authors note larger clinical studies are needed. [7] A systemic research review demonstrated that polyphenol consumption may increase cognition both acutely and chronically, though comparisons between studies are hampered by methodological inconsistencies. [8]
Coffee fruit contains caffeine. [9] [10] Caffeine has possible neuro-protective properties, including a possible prevention or reduction in rate of progression of dementia.[ citation needed ] Caffeine levels in cascara are similar to those found in black teas. [1]
It is served hot, iced, carbonated, and bottled by various producers, including in addition to a tea as a soda, a beer, a liqueur, and a flavored vodka. [5] [1]
The dried whole fruit is also eaten like raisins. [5] It is also ground into a flour which can be used by those avoiding gluten. [11]
The tea is described as fruity and floral; the fruits are described as not dissimilar to other dried fruits such as apricots, cranberries, and raisins, [5] and the flour has a fruity flavor. [11]
Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Coffea species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor various beverages and products. The fruits, like the seeds, contain a large amount of caffeine, and have a distinct sweet taste.
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies and soft drinks. Traditionally warm beverages include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Caffeinated drinks that contain the stimulant caffeine have a long history.
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes, are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plain term tea, is used as a reference to all sorts of herbal teas. Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine.
Guaraná is a climbing plant in the family Sapindaceae, native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guaraná has large leaves and clusters of flowers, and is best known for the seeds from its fruits, which are about the size of a coffee bean.
The kola nut is the seed of certain species of plant of the genus Cola, placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae. These cola species are trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. Their caffeine-containing seeds are used as flavoring ingredients in various carbonated soft drinks, from which the name cola originates.
Crush is a brand of carbonated soft drinks owned and marketed internationally by Keurig Dr Pepper, originally created as an orange soda, Orange Crush. Crush competes with Coca-Cola's Fanta. It was created in 1911 by beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free.
Pomace, or marc, is the solid remains of grapes, olives, or other fruit after pressing for juice or oil. It contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit.
Coffee production is the industrial process of converting the raw fruit of the coffee plant into the finished coffee. The coffee cherry has the fruit or pulp removed leaving the seed or bean which is then dried. While all green coffee is processed, the method that is used varies and can have a significant effect on the flavor of roasted and brewed coffee. Coffee production is a major source of income for 12.5 million households, most in developing countries.
A coffee bean is a seed from the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit. This fruit is often referred to as a coffee cherry, and like the cherry, it is a fruit with a pit. Even though the coffee beans are not technically beans, they are referred to as such because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits most commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. A small percentage of cherries contain a single seed, called a "peaberry". Peaberries make up only around 10% to 15% of all coffee beans. It is a fairly common belief that they have more flavour than normal coffee beans. Like Brazil nuts and white rice, coffee beans consist mostly of endosperm.
Coffee wastewater, also known as coffee effluent, is a byproduct of coffee processing. Its treatment and disposal is an important environmental consideration for coffee processing as wastewater is a form of industrial water pollution.
An acquired taste is an appreciation for something unlikely to be enjoyed by a person who has not had substantial exposure to it. It is the opposite of innate taste, which is the appreciation for things that are enjoyable by most people without prior exposure to them.
Qishr is a Yemeni traditional hot drink made of spiced coffee husks, ginger, and sometimes cinnamon. In Yemen, it is usually drunk as an alternative to coffee because it doesn't need to be roasted.
Coffee-leaf tea is a herbal tea prepared from the leaves of the coffee plant. These leaves, after being roasted, can be ground up or crumpled, then brewed or steeped in hot water in a form similar to tea. The resulting beverage is similar in taste to green tea, but with less caffeine content than either regular tea or coffee. Coffee leaves closely resemble the leaves and stalks of Paraguay tea. In some regions, such as Sumatra and Ethiopia, only the leaves are taken from the coffee plant and the berries are left on the bush.
Cherry juice is a fruit juice consisting of the juice of cherries. It is consumed as a beverage and used as an ingredient in various foods, processed foods and beverages. It is also marketed as a health supplement. It is produced by hot- or cold-pressing cherries, collecting the juice, and then filtering and pasteurizing it.
Aida Batlle is a Salvadoran coffee farmer and businesswoman. She won El Salvador's inaugural Cup of Excellence competition in 2003 with her Finca Kilimanjaro, one year after she began farming coffee.
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