Coffee Cherry Tea - Cascara (& Yemeni Qishr)

We'll show you how to make tea from coffee cherries, otherwise known as Cascara. Learn how to make the basic and Yemeni version of this fruity tea, called Qishr.
How do you make tea using 100% coffee? The answer is cascara (Spanish for “husk”). It’s made from the dried skins of the coffee cherry, which are removed to access the ‘bean’ we all know and love, hidden inside.

You’ll typically find cascara being enjoyed among coffee-growing communities. It’s often used by coffee farmers as feed for livestock or as a fertilizer to add nutrients back into the soil. Because it’s considered a ‘byproduct’, it’s cheaper to drink than coffee, yet still offers the benefit of caffeine.

In Yemen, it’s referred to as Qishr, a tea made with cascara, cinnamon, ginger or caraway. In Ethiopia, it’s called Geshar or Hashara, and its darkly roasted until almost black, and infused in water for a longer period to create an intensely fruity brew. In Bolivia it’s called Sultana, where they enjoy it with cinnamon, clove, and sugar.