Cascara (infusion)

Cascara is an infusion made from coffee cherry pods. The coffee cherry is the fruit of the coffee plant , it consists of the peel, the pulp and the seeds. The pulp of the coffee cherry is also called pulp (Spanish: pulpa ). The seeds are stone fruits and are commonly referred to as coffee beans .

Origin and history

Coffee farmers in Yemen discovered centuries ago that the peel and pulp of the coffee cherry contain complex fruit flavors and valuable nutrients. The result is quishar, a type of chai tea based on coffee cups, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, milk and sugar. In Bolivia and Panama , Cascara is prepared as a warming tea, sweetened with honey and seasoned with ginger. In Nicaragua , the locals especially like to drink cascara for breakfast. The amber-colored drink is also known as Coffeetea - coffee tea. In the past, Cascara was also called “coffee for poor people”, because the infusion from the fruit peel is significantly cheaper than the actual coffee. So far, the pulp has mostly deteriorated as waste. The discovery as a trendy drink is an advantage for the coffee farmers, as it opens up a new source of income for them.

Usage today

Cascara is conquering more and more pubs, bars and coffee shops. The dried coffee cherry is offered as a hot or cold infusion drink. There is six to eight times more caffeine in a glass of Cascara than in a cup of coffee. In addition, the variety of aromas is valued. Depending on the type of coffee, the bowls give off delicate flavors of honey and orange. The caffeinated soft drink Caté has been brewed from the coffee fruit in Hamburg since 2015. In 2015, a process for producing lemonade using the cold brew process was developed in Berlin . In 2016, the Cologne-based private brewery Gaffel produced the lemonade Cascara Sparkling , which is mixed with various organic juices and carbonated. Machhörndl Kaffee also produced the Wilde Ziege lemonade in 2016

production

Cáscara means shell in Spanish. The pulp envelops the cherry stone, the coffee bean. During coffee production, the shell and the bean are separated. Only the beans used to be exported. The pulp of the cherry intended for use may only come from plantations that do not use chemicals in their cultivation. The processing takes place on site. After the harvest, the coffee cherries are spread out to dry in the open air. The cherries now have to be turned regularly so that they can dry well on all sides. This process can take three to five weeks. Machines then use gentle pressure and friction to remove the seeds from the pulp. The cherry pit is roasted to make coffee beans, the pulp is used as cascara for tea.

Novel food

In December 2016, the coffee cherry was included in the novel food catalog of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It is therefore considered a raw material in its own right, no longer coffee. As a result, the coffee cherry has no official food approval and may not be sold.

Individual evidence

Cascara (infusion)

contents

Origin and history

Usage today

production

Novel food